Church  Work  in 

State  Universities 

1911-1912 


I 


CHURCH  WORK  IN  STATE 
UNIVERSITIES 


1911-1912 


REPORT  OF  THE  FIFTH  ANNUAL  CONFER¬ 
ENCE  OF  CHURCH  WORKERS  IN 
STATE  UNIVERSITIES 


HELD  AT  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  IOWA.  IOWA  CITY. 

FEBRUARY  6  AND  7.  1912 


Edited  by 

FRANCIS  MORTON  FOX 


IOWA  CITY,  IOWA 
JUNE,  1912 


CONTENTS 


Address  of  Welcome.  The  Rev.  W.  D.  Williams^  D.D. 

Address  of  Welcome,  President  John  Gabbert  Bowman 

The  Conference.  Church  Workers  Defined,  The  Problem  Stated. 
Discussion  led  by  the  Rev.  J.  Leslie  French,  Ph.D. 

Religious  Census  in  the  University.  Howard  Y.  Williams 

The  Student  and  His  Home  Church.  Discussion  led  by  the  Rev. 
Henry  W.  Foote . 

The  Claim  of  the  Church  on  University  Men.  The  Rev.  James 
Beveridge  Lee,  D.D . 

Handling  of  Religious  Problems  of  College  Students.  President 
Francis  J.  McConnell . 

The  Preparation  in  Universities  and  Colleges  of  Religious  Leaders 
and  Specialists  (Investigation).  Prof.  Edwin  Diller  Starbuck 

Report  of  Special  Committee  on  Investigation  of  Biblical  and 
Religious  Courses  for  Credits  in  State  Universities  (Ques¬ 
tionnaire).  Dean  Charles  M.  Sharpe . 

University  Credits  for  Study  in  Religious  Education.  President 
Albert  Ross  Hill . .  . 

The  Relation  of  the  University  Student  to  His  Church.  The  Rev. 
James  C.  Baker . 

How  can  the  Denominational  and  Association  workers  co-operate 
at  the  State  University?  Mr.  A.  J.  Elliott  .... 

How  can  the  University  Professor  and  Advisor  co-operate  with  the 
University  Pastor  and  Association  Worker  at  the  University? 
Discussion  led  by  Prof.  C.  E.  Seashore . 

The  Personal  Element  in  Religious  Work  for  University  Students. 
The  Rev.  Matthew  G.  Allison . 

Voluntary  Bible  Courses,  The  Rev.  R.  H.  Edwards 

How  to  reach  the  Student  during  the  first  four  weeks  of  his  Uni¬ 
versity  Life.  The  Rev.  Howard  R.  Gold  .... 

Denominational  Policies  for  Work  among  State  University  Stu¬ 
dents.  The  Rev.  Dean  R.  Leland . 

Should  a  University  Pastor  Assemble  his  Students?  Why?  Wliere? 
The  Rev.  E.  W.  Blakeman . 

Financing  the  Work  of  the  University  Pastor.  The  Rev.  Martin 
E.  Anderson . 


INTRODUCTION 


The  fifth  annual  meeting  of  the  Conference  of  Church  workers  in  State 
Universities  held  at  the  State  University  of  Iowa,  Iowa  City,  February  6, 
and  7,  1912,  carried  out  its  comprehensive  program  in  detail  with  the  single 
exception  of  one  address,  viz.,  that  of  Dean  Shailer  Mathews,  who  was  con¬ 
fined  to  his  home  on  account  of  illness.  Sixty-eight  delegates,  covering  a 
wide  field  of  religious  and  educational  interests,  were  present.  Sixteen 
great  educational  institutions  were  represented,  fourteen  being  universities 
and  twelve  of  these  were  state  institutions.  Nine  religious  denominations, 
professors  of  colleges  and  theological  seminaries,  superintendents  and  secre- 
taries  of  denominational  boards,  national  and  general  secretaries  of  the 
Young  Men^s  and  Young  Women  ^s  Christian  Associations,  pastors  of 
churches,  university  pastors  and  interested  laymen  composed  the  company 
of  earnest  delegates  who  sat  about  the  great  tables  in  the  senate  chamber 
of  the  Old  Capitol  building  to  give  and  to  take,  to  speak  and  to  listen,  to 
ask  and  answer  questions  on  this  vital  subject  of  the  church’s  part  in  the 
religious  care  of  the  110,000  students  in  the  state  controlled  schools  of 
higher  education.  It  was  preeminently  a  convention  of  discussions  and  not 
of  speech  making  and  our  loss  is  that  we  have  no  stenographic  report  of  the 
discussions  to  print.  This  report  simply  gives  to  you  in  printed  form  the 
manuscripts  as  they  were  handed  in.  It  is  our  regret  that  some  of  the 
manuscripts  have  never  reached  us. 

At  the  suggestion  of  the  executive  committee,  a  registration  fee  of  one 
dollar  was  voted  and  thirty-two  delegates  paid  this  fee  to  the  treasurer. 
Thus  a  precedent  was  made,  providing  such  funds  for  the  officers  as  are 
necessary  for  the  putting  on  of  a  convention. 

The  next  annual  meeting  of  the  conference  will  be  held  at  the  State  Uni¬ 
versity  of  Kansas,  Lawrence,  Kansas,  the  date  to  be  announced  later. 

Officers  elected  for  the  year  1912-1913  are  the  Rev.  E.  W.  Blakeman, 
Methodist  university  pastor,  Madison,  Wis.,  president;  the  Rev.  T.  M. 
Shipherd,  pastor  First  Congregational  church,  Lincoln,  Neb.,  vice-president; 
and  the  Rev.  Wallace  C.  Payne,  instructor,  Kansas  University  Bible  chairs, 
Lawrence,  Kansas,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

Extra  copies  of  this  report  may  be  secured  by  writing  to  Francis  Morton 
Fox,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 


OFFICERS  AND  MEMBERS  OF  THE  CONFERENCE 


President — Charles  M.  Sharpe,  D.  D.,  Disciple,  Dean  of  Bible  College^, 
Columbia,  Mo. 

Vice-president — The  Rev.  Howard  R,  Gold,  Lutheran  University  Pastor,. 
Madison,  Wis. 

Secretary  and  Treasurer — Francis  Morton  Fox,  D.  D.,  Presbyterian  Uni¬ 
versity  Pastor,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

J.  Wilson  Currens,  Presbyterian  University  Pastor,  Boulder,  Colo. 

G.  Rast,  Lutheran  Pastor,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

Noble  I.  Elderkin,  Minister,  Plymouth  Congregational  Church,  Lawrence,. 
Kans. 

W.  M.  Backus,  Minister,  Unitarian  First  Church,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 
Charles  M.  Sharpe,  Dean  of  Bible  College,  Disciple,  Columbia,  Mo. 
Howard  R.  Gold,  Lutheran  University  Pastor,  Madison,  Wis. 

Vernon  S.  Phillips,  Pastor,  First  Baptist  Church,  Madison,  Wis. 

Frank  B.  Bachelor,  Pastor,  First  Baptist  Church,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 

M.  G.  Allison,  Presbyterian  University  Pastor,  Madison,  Wis. 

Percy  M.  Dawson,  Unitarian,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 

Dean  R.  Leland,  Presbyterian  University  Pastor,  Lincoln,  Neb. 

A.  F.  Elmquist,  President,  Lutheran  Synod,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

F.  M.  Dowlin,  Pastor,  Presbyterian  Church,  West  Liberty,  Iowa. 

H.  S.  CoNDiT,  Pastor,  Unity  Presbyterian  Church,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

11.  P.  Chaffee,  Pastor,  Baptist  Church,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

J.  E.  Park,  Secretary  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Boulder,  Colo. 

J.  Twyson  Jones,  Pastor,  Congregational  Church,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

W.  W.  Carlton,  District  Superintendent,  M.  E.  Church,  Mt.  Vernon,  Iowa.. 
James  C,  Baker,  Pastor,  Trinity  M.  E.  Church,  Urbana,  Ill. 

Rollo  F.  Hurlburt,  Pastor,  First  M,  E.  Church,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

Lloyd  C.  Douglas,  Religious  Work  Secretary,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Champaign,  Ill. 
Prank  H.  West,  General  Secretary  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Madison,  Wis. 

W.  S.  Richardson,  Religious  Work  Director,  Y,  M.  C.  A.,  Minneapolis,. 
Minn. 

Howard  Y.  Williams,  General  Secretary  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

.r.  Leslie  French,  Presbyterian  University  Pastor,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 

O.  H.  Cessna,  Methodist,  Chaplain,  Iowa  State  Agricultural  College,  Ames, 
Iowa. 

J.  W.  Innes,  College  Pastor,  Presbyterian  Church,  Ames,  Iowa. 

]>wight  Witherspoon  Wylie,  Pastor,  Presbyterian  Church,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 
J.  H.  Dunlap,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

Henry  Wilder  Foote,  Secretary  Department  of  Education,  American  Uni- 


tarian  Association,  Boston,  Mass. 

Luther  E.  Widen,  Lutheran,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

D.  H.  Anderson,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

W.  D.  Williams,  Eector,  Trinity  Episcopal  Church,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

C.  H.  PuRMORT,  Presbyterian  Synodical  superintendent  of  Home  Mission.^, 
l)es  Moines,  Iowa. 

Guy  V.  Aldrich,  State  Student  Secretary,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Presbyterian,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa. 

C.  C,  Eowlison,  Pastor,  Christian  Church,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

E.  P.  Kobertson,  Wesley  College,  University  of  North  Dakota.  Grand 

Forks,  N.  D. 

A.  E.  Vail,  University  of  Illinois,  Urbana,  lU. 

Martin  E.  Anderson,  Presbyterian  University  Pastor,  Champaign,  lU. 

Wm.  Houston,  Presbyterian  University  Pastor,  Columbus,  O. 

J.  Beveridge  Lee,  Presbyterian,  Board  of  Education,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
John  Andrew  Holmes,  Pastor,  First  Congregational  Church,  Champaign^ 
Ill. 

Eichard  H.  Edwards,  Congregational  University  Pastor,  Madison,  Wis. 

E.  W.  Blakeman,  Methodist  University  Pastor,  Madison,  Wis. 

Wm.  J.  Davidson,  Methodist,  Northwestern  University,  Evanston,  lU. 

P.  H.  Heisey,  Pastor,  Lutheran  Church,  North  Liberty,  Iowa. 

C.  F.  Ensign,  Pastor,  Presbyterian  Church,  Marion,  Iowa. 

S.  S.  Klyne,  Pastor,  M.  E.  Church,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

Ina  Scherrebeck,  Y.  W.  C.  A.  Secretary,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

J.  F.  Eowlison,  Pastor,  Christian  Church,  Tiffin,  Iowa. 

Wm.  M.  Evans,  Bible  Department,  Coe  College,  Cedar  Eapids,  Iowa. 

Arthur  L.  Weatherby,  Lincoln,  Neb. 

James  T.  Wylie,  Pastor,  Presbyterian  Church,  Oxford,  Iowa. 

S.  N.  Carpenter,  Pastor,  Lutheran  Church,  Carthage,  HI. 

C.  E.  Seashore,  Lutheran,  Dean  of  Graduate  College,  University  of  Iowa, 
Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

Theo.  M.  Shipherd,  Pastor,  Congregational  Church,  Lincoln,  Neb. 

J.  S.  Moore,  General  Secretary  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Columbia,  Mo. 

Frank  A.  Gilmore,  Unitarian,  Madison,  Wis. 

Ernest  C.  Smith,  Unitarian,  Chicago,  Ill. 

Francis  Morton  Fox,  Presbyterian  University  Pastor,  Iowa  State  Univer¬ 
sity,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

Mrs.  Francis  Morton  Fox,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

Horace  F.  Martin,  Pastor,  English  Lutheran  Church,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

G.  W.  Stewart,  Professor  of  Physics,  University  of  Iowa,  Methodist,  Bible 

Class  Teacher,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

Herman  Brueckner,  Pastor,  German  Lutheran  Church,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 
Eobert  Taylor,  Elder,  Presbyterian  Church,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

H.  Houghton  Schumacher,  Pastor,  Unitarian  Church,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 


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https://archive.org/details/churchworkinstatOOconf 


jfiftb  Hnnual  Conference  of  Cburcb  "KIlorKers  in 

Sfate  Ulntrccstfies. 


ADDRESS  OF  WELCOME 

By  the  Eev.  W.  D.  Williams,  Eector  of  Trinity  Episcopal 
Church,  President  Ministerial  Union,  Iowa  City. 

“As  president  of  the  Ministerial  Union,  it  becomes  my  duty,  as  it  is  my 
valued  privilege,  to  bid  you  all  a  joyous  welcome.  Vision,  however  imper¬ 
fect,  is  better  than  no  vision.  As  president  of  the  Ministerial  Union,  it  is 
not  out  of  place  to  remind  ourselves  that  the  genesis  of  university  life  in 
America  was  given  by  the  Eev.  John  Harvard,  founder  of  Harvard  Univer¬ 
sity;  it  is  fitting,  therefore,  that  a  minister  should  presume  to  welcome  this 
distinguished  body  to  this  city — the  beautiful  city  on  the  Iowa  river,  and 
we  welcome  you  to  our  homes — cultured,  refined,  hospitable;  and  we  wel¬ 
come  you  to  our  hearts. 

‘  ‘  The  Eev.  John  Harvard ’s  vision  may  have  been  defective,  in  some  re¬ 
spects,  but  it  contained  all  the  cardinal  principles  of  an  education  at  once 
free  and  universal,  and  ethical,  and  religious.  We,  the  Avorkers  of  today  re¬ 
present  the  same  cardinal  principles,  and  we  welcome  you,  our  co-workers  to 
the  fellowship,  and  hospitality,  of  a  comprehensive  Christianity  upon  those 
cardinal  lines  and  in  the  warmth  of  our  Christian  love.  May  God  direct  us, 
as  we  consult  at  this  time,  and  plan  for  the  spread  of  His  kingdom  in  the 
hearts  of  university  people.  May  He  give  us  the  spirit  of  love  and  of  a  sound 
mind  Hhat  we  both  perceive  and  know  wdiat  things  we  ought  to  do,  and 
also  may  have  grace  and  power  faithfully  to  fulfill  the  same.  ’  ’  ’ 

ADDEESS  OF  WELCOME 
By  President  Bovcman,  State  University  of  Iowa 

In  his  address  of  welcome  to  the  Church  Workers  at  the  University,  Presi¬ 
dent  John  G.  Bowman  said  in  part: 

Gentlemen  and  fellow  workers:  On  behalf  of  the  University,  I  am  glad 
to  Avelcome  you  here,  first,  because  you  represent  two  distinct  organiza¬ 
tions,  the  churches,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  state  universities  on  the  other. 
Second,  because  these  organizations  have  a  common  and  fundamental  point 
of  contact  in  which  their  aims  coincide.  And  third,  because  neither  of  the 
organizations  has  realized  fully  how  much  alike  their  purposes  are,  or  how 
much  better  both  can  succeed  by  Avorking  together  with  trust  and  faith  in 
each  other. 

Occasionally,  a  minister  says  to  me,  “But  I  have  heard  that  you  are  a 


7 


bad  lot.’’  Yes,  I  have  heard  that  same  thing  a  good  many  times,  and  each 
time  the  message  merely  leaves  me  more  persistently  optimistic  and  adds 
seriousness  in  my  heart  to  fulfill,  with  the  co-operation  of  the  faculty,  a  task 
which  is  sacred.  This  task  is  to  make  spiritual  as  well  as  intellectual  the 
inward  equipment  of  boys  and  girls  for  work;  to  have  spring  within  them 
the  conviction  that  in  addition  to  intelligence,  righteousness  and  love  are 
useful  and  beautiful  in  any  success.  We  may  forget  facts  in  logic  or  in 
mathematics,  but  we  can  never  forget  a  ray  of  light  that  penetrates  into  our 
deepest  life. 

President  Bowman,  in  concluding  his  talk,  maintained  that  the  spiritual 
life  of  the  University  must  spring  primarily  from  the  class  rooms  and 
laboratories,  that  it  must  grow  directly  out  of  the  lives  of  the  professors 
and  instructors.  ‘‘We  must  have  teachers,”  he  said,  ‘‘who,  if  need  be, 
would  break  rock  at  night  to  support  themselves  in  order  to  continue  in  the 
privilege  of  teaching.  Such  teachers  will  present  their  subjects,  whether 
these  are  botany,  or  chemistry,  or  literature,  in  such  a  way  that  the  spiritual 
life  of  the  student  will  develop  with  the  intellectual  life.  ’  ’ 

CHUECH  WOEKEES  DEFINED 

By  Eev.  J.  Leslie  French,  Ph.  D.,  Presbyterian  University  Pastor  at  the 

University  of  Michigan 

The  purpose  of  the  church  as  a  whole  is  the  lifting  of  humanity  God-ward 
and  the  realization  of  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  The  church  is  the 
organization  which  in  the  minds  of  its  leaders  and  supporters  best  serves 
this  purpose.  There  are  other  admirable  organizations  which  have  partially 
the  same  general  purpose,  for  example,  the  various  social  service  agencies, 
the  organized  temperance  movement,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  even  more  kindred 
institutions,  such  as  the  International  Sunday  School  Association,  and  the 
United  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor.  To  meet  various  practical  needs, 
these  institutions  have  perfected  various  organizations  with  their  national 
officers,  campaigns,  special  workers,  conventions  and  conferences.  In  like 
manner,  the  church,  in  its  various  forms,  is  organized  to  better  realize  its 
supreme  mission.  The  church  believes  it  will  best  realize  that  supreme 
mission  and  its  primary  purpose  in  the  specific  form  of  organization  it  has 
adopted.  To  the  church,  the  success  of  its  primary  purpose  means  the 
success  of  its  institutionalized  form.  As  applied  to  state  educational  insti¬ 
tutions  this  means  the  success  of  the  impact  of  the  organized  church  as  an 
institution  in  these  educational  centers.  In  that  success,  it  believes  its 
primary  purpose  will  be  realized.  With  this  understanding,  the  definition 
of  church  workers  is  simple.  They  are  the  men,  who  by  profession  and 
sympathy  are  active  and  responsible  in  promoting  the  success  of  their  par¬ 
ticular  ecclesiastical  organizations.  A  conference  of  such  men  will  include: 

I.  The  pastors  of  local  churches. 

TI.  Th  associate,  assistant,  university  and  student  pastors,  guild  secre¬ 
taries  and  directors. 


8 


III.  The  university  officials,  for  whom  these  movements  become  factors 
in  general  university  administration. 

IV.  Professors  and  other  laymen  of  local  churches,  who  are  interested  in 
specific  efforts  to  reach  the  student  body. 

V.  Students  who  are  leaders  in  definite  forms  of  church  activity. 

VI.  State  and  national  representatives  of  ecclesiastical  organizations, 
who  have  at  heart  the  welfare  of  their  student  constituencies. 

These  church  workers  will  welcome  the  co-operation  and  sympathy  of 
every  particular  organization  whose  primary  object  is  kindred  in  nature.  As 
a  conference  of  church  workers  in  state  educational  institutions,  we  are 
met  to  study  the  best  methods  that  will  make  successful  the  approach  of 
the  organized  Christian  church  to  these  great  and  strategic  educational  cen¬ 
ters. 

THE  PROBLEM  STATED 

The  problem  is  two-fold.  (1)  How  can  we  as  a  conference  be  made 
aware  of  the  most  successful  methods  in  reaching  the  student  body.  (2) 
How  can  we  as  a  conference  best  propagate  in  our  state  and  national  church 
bodies  and  in  state  educational  centers  the  movement  for  the  religious  care 
and  education  of  the  110,000  students  involved. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  CENSUS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY 
By  Howard  Y.  Williams,  Secretary  Y.  C.  A,,  State 

University  of  Iowa 

In  investigating  the  comparison  of  methods  and  results  obtained  from  the 
religious  census  in  our  universities,  a  questionnaire  was  sent  to  workers  in 
the  leading  universities  of  the  middle  west  from  whom  replies  definite  in¬ 
formation  has  been  secured  from  twelve  of  these  institutions. 

The  questionnaire  sent  out  has  three  general  divisions: 

I.  The  methods  of  taking  the  census, 

II.  The  information  secured. 

III.  The  definite  use  made  of  the  census, 

THE  METHODS  OF  TAKING  THE  CENSUS 

In  nine  of  the  twelve  institutions  reporting,  the  census  is  secured  through 
the  regular  registration  department  of  the  university.  Six  of  the  above 
cases  take  the  information  on  the  regular  matriculation  blank,  preserving 
the  census  on  permanent  file.  In  two  of  the  nine  universities,  separate 
information  cards  for  the  sole  purpose  of  taking  the  religious  census  are 
furnished  by  the  university  and  students  are  asked  to  fill  them  out  in 
addition  to  the  regular  matriculation  blanks.  In  one  university  of  the  nine, 
the  Christian  Association  furnishes  the  information  cards  and  the  registrar 
secures  the  desired  information  at  the  time  of  registration. 

At  two  of  the  twelve  universities,  the  census  is  taken  by  the  united  elforts 
of  the  churches  and  the  Christian  Associations,  Men  are  stationed  in  the 


9 


various  registration  departments  and  they  endeavor  to  secure  the  registration 
of  every  new  student  who  enters,  by  passing  out  information  blanks  which 
the  student  is  asked  to  return  immediately. 

At  one  of  the  twelve  universities,  the  religious  census  is  taken  by  the 
Christian  Associations  in  asking  registration  for  their  annual  handbook. 
Several  of  the  Christian  Associations  in  institutions  of  the  first  mentioned 
class,  where  the  census  is  completed  by  the  university  authorities,  enlarge 
the  census  securing  further  information  in  this  same  way  as  well  as  through 
correspondence. 

It  may  readily  be  judged  that,  through  the  handbook  registration,  a  large 
number  of  students  are  never  reached,  as  they  fail  to  apply  for  the  book. 
In  the  census  taken  by  the  co-operation  of  the  churches  and  the  Christian 
Association,  the  same  difficulty  is  experienced  in  the  fact  that  many  of  the 
students  are  either  missed  in  the  rush  of  registration  days  or  they  fail  to 
return  the  information  blank.  In  those  cases  where  the  census  is  compiled 
under  the  university  registration,  comparatively  few  students  fail  to  register, 
this  being  especially  true  when  the  information  is  secured  through  questions 
on  the  matriculation  blank.  When  separate  religious  census  cards  are  used, 
of  course,  a  larger  number  of  students  omit  this  registration, 

THE  INFORMATION  SECURED 

Small  variance  is  found  in  the  information  secured  by  the  religious  cen¬ 
sus.  Church  preference  and  membership  are  the  two  points  most  desired 
and  are  secured  in  every  census  taken  with  the  exception  of  one  institution 
where  the  university  itself  takes  the  census  and  the  only  intelligence  secured 
is  denominational  affiliation.  Increasing  the  efficiency  of  their  census,  two 
of  the  universities  ask  for  experience  in  religious  or  social  work,  in  one  of 
these  the  census  being  taken  on  the  regular  university  matriculation  card. 
In  some  cases  where  the  institution  is  located  in  a  large  city,  the  student  is 
also  asked  for  the  exact  church  attendance  or  preference. 

In  passing,  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  church  workers  find  some  number 
of  students  who  express  a  church  preference  for  policy’s  sake  when  no  such 
affiliation  is  felt.  Other  students  show  preference  for  a  church  different 
than  the  denomination  to  which  they  belong,  due  to  a  like  for  the  pastor, 
social  reasons,  etc.  It  is  amusing  to  discover  cases  among  men,  who,  while 
not  affiliated  with  any  church,  express  a  preference  for  the  Friends,  in  order 
to  evade  military  drill. 

THE  DEFINITE  USE  MADE  OF  THE  CENSUS 

In  the  application  of  the  religious  census  to  service,  church  workers  vary 
greatly.  Practically  no  results  are  secured  in  some  universities  through  the 
efforts  expended  in  compiling  the  census,  while  considerable  advantages 
accrue  in  other  instances. 

As  expeditiously  as  possible  university  and  local  pastors  should  secure  a 
list  of  the  students  of  their  denominational  affiliation  and,  in  addition,  those 
of  students  expressing  no  church  preference.  It  is  possible,  and  in  some 


10 


universities,  night  work  is  indulged  in  to  prepare  these  lists  before  the  first 
Sunday  of  the  college  year  that  the  student  may  immediately  be  put  in 
touch  with  the  church  of  his  preference  through  invitations  to  receptions, 
Bible  classes  and  regular  Sunday  services.  He  can  afterwards  be  followed 
up  by  personal  calls.  In  special  Bible  and  Mission  Study  canvasses  among 
the  university  students  for  classes  in  the  various  churches  lists  are  also 
available.  The  Young  People’s  societies  use  the  census  and  the  Christian 
Associations  profit  by  it  as  a  guide  in  their  membership  campaign,  urging 
the  importance  of  aU  church  members  uniting  in  one  organization  for  war¬ 
fare  against  forces  tending  to  disintegrate  character  in  the  work  of  the 
church  co-operation  committee,  lining  men  up  for  church  membership,  and 
for  personal  evangelism.  In  one  university,  the  Christian  Association  pro¬ 
motes  separate  gatherings  of  the  students  of  every  denominational  affiliation 
at  which  the  pastor  of  the  local  church  of  that  particular  denomination  is 
present  to  address  and  become  acquainted  with  the  men.  Plans  for  the 
year  are  there  made. 

By  these  means,  church  workers  are  enabled  to  minister  to  the  students 
they  are  personally  responsible  for  and  thus  the  new  student  is  tied  up 
inunediately  to  character  building  influences. 

CONCLUSION 

The  consideration  of  that  method  which  will  bring  the  most  satisfactory 
results  is  most  important  because  of  the  great  need  in  our  state  institutions 
of  getting  all  students  linked  up  at  the  outset  to  the  church.  The  opening 
days  are  strategic  ones  for  the  church  worker  and  every  opportunity  and 
advantage  should  be  seized  in  getting  in  touch  with  the  student  and  tying 
him  up  with  the  pastor  and  church  of  his  choice.  This  the  religious  census 
makes  possible. 

Opinions  gathered  from  the  questionnaire  and  as  a  result  of  the  study 
lead  to  the  conclusion  that  the  census  should  be  official  or  obligatory  by  the 
university  for  the  best  interest  of  its  institutional  religious  life.  It  should, 
therefore,  by  all  means,  be  taken  by  the  registration  department  of  the  col¬ 
lege  and  if  possible  on  the  regular  matriculation  blank.  The  information 
can  only  be  made  complete  when  sought  by  official  authorities.  This  official 
census  should  be  sought  because  of  the  desirability  of  every  individual 
church  ministering  to  all  the  students  affiliated  with  its  denominations,  a 
condition  which  is  made  impossible  under  a  census  which  is  only  partial  as 
is  the  case  when  it  is  taken  by  the  co-operation  of  the  churches  and  the 
Christian  Associations.  Furthermore,  this  is  deemed  advisable  because  those 
who  are  most  apt  to  neglect  or  evade  the  census  taken  by  the  churches  and 
the  Christian  Associations,  are  the  ones  most  needing  character  developing 
influences.  In  the  partial  census,  such  are  wont  to  be  overlooked  until  after 
the  precious  opening  days  and  weeks  of  easy  impression  are  passed  and  the 
student  has  fallen  into  careless  ways  and  has  became  harder  to  reach. 

For  the  benefit  of  church  workers  in  universities  wdiere  the  census  is  not 
taken  by  the  university  authorities,  registrars  and  officials  in  those  insti¬ 
tutions  where  the  census  is  compiled  by  the  regular  registration  depart- 


11 


ment,  inform  me  that  they  can  see  no  valid  objection  to  the  placing  of 
two  or  three  questions  concerning  the  religious  life  of  the  student  on  the 
matriculation  blank  when  so  much  personal  information  is  requested.  Cer¬ 
tainly,  they  say,  the  religious  status  of  the  student  is  not  less  important 
than  his  nationality,  occupation  of  father,  mother  ^s  maiden  name  and 
many  other  such  questions  asked. 

When  vre  come  to  the  information  desired  the  question  is  of  course 
raised  as  to  how  far  we  should  go.  Certainly  if  the  student  is  a  church 
jiiember  the  name  of  the  church  should  be  secured,  and  if  not  a  church 
member  the  denominational  preference.  If  neither  a  church  member  nor 
an  attendant,  the  faith  preference.  Catholic  or  Protestant,  is  desirable. 
Where  it  is  at  all  feasible  a  knowledge  of  the  former  experience  the  student 
has  had  in  religious  or  social  work  will  contribute  greatly  to  securing  him 
for  definite  service  and  in  making  religious  w^ork  more  efficient  in  our 
state  universities. 

The  following  questions  to  appear  on  the  university  matriculation  blank 
are  suggested  for  a  most  efficient  religious  census. 

(1)  What  is  your  religious  denomination?  (2)  Are  you  a  member  of 
the  church?  (3)  If  neither  a  church  member  nor  an  attendant  give  your 
faith  preference — Catholic  or  Protestant?  (4)  What  experience  have 
you  had  in  religious  or  social  w’ork  (Bible  Class,  Settlement,  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  etc.)? 

Certainly  our  church  worker  must  be  accused  of  gross  negligence  w'ho 
fails  to  avail  himself,  especially  during  the  opening  days  and  weeks,  of  the 
knowledge  of  his  problem  gained  through  a  study  of  the  religious  census.  In 
the  quickly  changing  population  of  our  colleges  and  the  diversified  re¬ 
ligious  status  of  the  student  body,  with  large  numbers  of  men  and  women 
to  be  reached  in  all  too  brief  a  space  of  time  there  is  an  increasing  demand 
that  as  Christian  workers  we  know  our  constituency  and  that  we  divide 
and  place  responsibility.  This  the  religious  census  fully  and  accurately 
compiled  enables  us  to  do. 


THE  STUDENT  AND  HIS  HOME  CHUECH 
By  Henry  Wilder  Foote, 

Secretary,  Dep’t  of  Education,  American  Unitarian  Association. 
Conference  of  Church  Workers  in  State  Universities, 
lowm  City,  Iowa,  February  7,  1912. 


The  problem  of  the  religious  life  of  the  young  man  or  woman  who 
leaves  home  to  go  to  college  is  one  phase  of  the  larger  problem  of  how  to 
Imld  young  people  to  the  church.  The  student  thus  leaving  home  enters 
a  new^  life,  with  absorbing  interests  which  are  likely  profoundly  to  modify 
the  ideals  as  well  as  the  habits  of  his  youtli.  The  home  ties  are  w^eakened; 
the  church  ties,  especially,  are  liable  to  be  cut.  There  are  some  students 
Avho  deliberately  seize  the  opportunity  to  break  all  connection  with  organ¬ 
ized  relioion,  wdio  gladly  drop  attendance  at  services  which  have  become 

12 


irksome  and  uninteresting  to  tlieni.  There  are  others  whose  interest  in 
the  liome  church  has  been  but  lukewarm,  and  who  find  the  new  life  so 
full  and  varied  that  the  old  ties  are  half  unconsciously  relaxed.  There 
are  still  others  Tvho  have  been  really  attached  to  the  home  church  but 
whose  conceptions  of  Avhat  constitutes  religion  are  seriously  disturbed  by 
the  new  knowledge  Avhich  comes  to  them  at  the  univeristy.  Even  the  Chris¬ 
tian  Associations,  admirable  as  much  of  their  work  is,  often  tend,  when 
they  become  a  substitute  for  church,  to  weaken  church  ties,  for  the  student 
upon  leaving  the  university  finds  himself  no  longer  in  touch  Avith  the  church 
of  his  upbringing.  It  is  the  function  of  the  college  town  church  to  serve 
as  a  link  betAveen  the  church  of  the  student’s  boyhood  life,  and  that  other 
church  of  his  manhood’s  home  in  the  town  Avhither  he  goes  to  settle  upon 
graduation.  In  a  Avord,  the  ideal  of  the  college  toAvn  church  is  to  recei\e 
the  student  from  the  hands  of  his  home  church,  to  minister  to  his  religious 
life  Avhile  at  the  university,  and  to  send  him  on  at  graduation  ready  and 
Avilling  to  take  part  in  the  church  life  of  whatever  community  he  may 
choose  as  his  permanent  residence.  There  are  these  important  links  in 
this  chain; — that  connecting  the  home  church  with  the  college  town  church; 
the  link  which  shall  hold  him  to  the  latter;  the  transfer  of  his  allegiance 
to  the  permanent  church  home  of  his  adult  life.  In  this  paper  we  are 
concerned  only  Avith  the  first  of  these  steps. 

IIoAv,  then,  shall  the  home  church  discharge  its  responsibility  to  the  young 
man  or  woman  leaving  home  for  the  first  time  to  enter  college?  Surely  its 
first  and  clearest  duty  is  to  put  the  new  student  immediately  into  touch 
with  the  church  in  the  college  toAvn.  There  is  urgent  need  that  ministers 
should  take  this  duty  upon  themseb’es  more  seriously  than  they  do.  Prob¬ 
ably  the  churches  with  compact  organization  haA’e  an  advantage  oA'er  those 
of  the  congregational  order.  Thus  the  Komau  Catholic  and  Episcopal 
churches  have  at  least  the  machinery  for  doing  this  thing  thoroughly.  I 
do  not  know  how  adequately  other  denominations  deal  Avith  this  problem, 
but  in  our  Unitarian  churches,  which  are  self-go\nrning  and  independent, 
there  is  no  way  by  which  ministers  can  be  required  to  meet  their  obliga¬ 
tions  in  this  respect.  All  that  our  national  organizations  can  do  is  to  ask 
for  the  co-operation  of  local  churches  with  the  college  toAvn  churches  by 
giving  new  students  letters  of  introduction  before  they  leave  home,  and  by 
notifying  the  college  town  ministers  of  the  students’  coming.  Every  year 
about  the  time  the  universities  open  I  print  in  our  denominational  pajAers 
an  open  letter  to  our  churches  calling  their  attention  to  this  obvious  duty 
which  they  owe  to  their  young  people.  Next  year  I  shall  send  a  circular 
letter  to  every  settled  minister  from  Avhose  church  it  is  at  all  }>robable  that 
young  folks  are  going  off  to  the  university.  It  ought  not  to  be  necessary 
to  do  this  at  all,  for  surely  it  is  one  of  the  most  obvious  obligations  in 
parish  routine  that  the  minister  should  be  intimate  enough  Avith  the  lives 
of  his  young  people  to  knoAv  when  they  are  leaving  home  for  the  first 
time,  and  that  he  should  introduce  them  to  the  church  of  their  own  de¬ 
nomination  in  the  community  to  which  they  go.  Unhappily  experience  has 
proved  that  while  some  ministers  are  alive  to  their  obligations  in  this 

1  o 

i  O 


respect,  many  are  quite  oblivious  to  tbem.  They  apparently  either  do  not 
know  when  their  young  people  go  aAvay  to  college,  or  if  they  do  know,  are 
too  lazy  or  indifferent  to  trouble  about  writing  a  letter  or  two.  That  the 
minister,  or  some  responsible  parish  worker,  should  do  this  without  fail 
in  every  case  is  certainly  the  first  and  most  undeniable  obligation  of  the 
home  church  to  the  student,  but  I  knoAv  no  way  of  bringing  about  its 
fulfilment  other  than  the  slow  education  of  shiftless  ministers  to  a  be¬ 
lated  performance  of  routine  parish  duties. 

This,  hoAvever,  does  not,  in  my  opinion,  exhaust  the  obligations  of  the 
home  church  to  the  student.  I  believe  that  young  men  or  women  have  the 
right  to  ask  that  the  church  of  their  upbringing  shall  prepare  them  for 
the  moral  and  intellectual  problems  which  they  are  to  confront  at  the 
university.  I  remember  attending  a  conference  once  at  which  a  distinguished 
cleric  made  the  following  complaint  against  the  universities: —  “What  do 
you  do  with  our  boys  and  girls  at  the  university?  We  bring  them  up  to 
be  good  Christians;  they  join  the  church;  they  come  to  its  services,  until 
they  go  to  the  university.  But  they  come  back  from  it  with  their  faith 
gone,  no  longer  interested  in  the  church,  A^ery  often  with  their  standards 
of  morality  seriously  relaxed.  ’  ’ 

Of  course  the  answer  to  that  lament  is  that  the  home  church  had  not 
done  its  duty  by  its  youths  and  maidens.  It  had  taught  them  a  theology 
Avhich  went  to  pieces  when  it  came  into  contact  with  modern  science  and 
history;  it  had  presented  a  formal,  conventionalized  morality  which  seemed 
ill-founded  and  lifeless  to  the  student  of  ethics  and  economics.  If  the 
student  returning  from  college  finds  the  intellectual  and  moral  life  of  his 
church  lacking  in  adequate  sanctions  the  fault  lies  not  with  the  university 
but  with  the  church.  The  minister  who  has  sneered  at  the  doctrine  of 
evolution  and  indiscriminately  damned  the  theatre  has  only  himself  to 
blame  if  his  young  people,  studying  science  and  English  literature,  come 
to  think  of  him  as  either  an  ignoramus  or  a  hypocrite.  For  the  student 
has  a  right  to  demand  that  his  home  church  shall  give  him  such  an  in¬ 
tellectual  background  of  religious  thought,  and  such  enlightened  moral 
standards  that  the  studies  at  the  university  will  not  throw  his  religion  all 
out  of  gear.  It  is,  of  course,  not  to  be  expected  that  the  average  minister 
can  be  right  up  to  date  on  the  latest  wrinkles  in  science  and  philosophy, 
but  he  ought  to  be  at  least  reasonably  in  touch  with  the  intellectual  life 
of  the  time.  If  he  has  done  his  duty  the  readjustment,  which  in  any  case 
Avill  be  inevitable,  will  at  least  not  throAv  the  student  off  his  feet. 

The  same  thing  is  true  regarding  morals.  The  home,  and  the  home 
school,  and  the  home  church  are  under  obligations  to  give  the  youth  the 
moral  stamina  to  meet  the  temptations  of  college  life,  which,  after  all, 
are  simply  those  of  the  world  at  large,  in  modified  form.  I  am  firmly 
persuaded  that  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  when  a  youth  goes  to  pieces  mor¬ 
ally  in  college  the  home  training  is  far  more  to  blame  than  the  college 
surroundings.  He  has  come  to  the  university  with  the  seeds  of  moral 
decay  already  planted  in  him.  He  has  not  received  from  the  home  church, 
or  from  his  parents,  or  in  his  high  school,  the  training  in  conduct  which 


14 


it  ■vvas  their  prime  duty  to  give  him.  When,  therefore,  his  moral  standards 
fail,  or  when  his  religious  faith  suffers  serious  shipwreck,  when  he  gladly 
seizes  the  opportunity  to  drop  church-going,  something  is  wrong  with  the 
home  church. 

These,  then,  are  the  two  great  obligations  which  the  home  church  owes 
to  the  departing  student;  first  of  all  to  have  given  him  such  an  intellectual 
background  for  religion  that  religion  will  not  seem  a  weak  and  foolish 
thing  in  the  light  of  larger  knowledge,  and  such  moral  stamina  that  he 
can  face  with  wisdom  as  well  as  courage  the  temptations  of  life;  and 
second,  to  put  him  into  immediate  touch  with  the  church  of  his  own  de¬ 
nomination  in  the  college  town,  so  that  the  natural  ties  may  not  be  relaxed. 
It  is  greatly  to  be  desired  that  our  churches  should  awaken  to  a  keener 
sense  of  these  ob’V’ious  duties. 


THE  CLAIM  OF  THE  CHUECH  OX  UXIVEKSITY  MEX. 

By  J.  Beveridge  Lee,  Eepresenting  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Education, 
and  Chairman  of  Its  Committee  on  University  Work. 

The  religious  life  of  student-bodies  has  been  a  matter  that  has  concerned 
churchmen  in  every  age.  When  Chrysoloras  came  from  Constantinople  as 
the  first  professor  of  Greek  in  Western  Europe,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Eenaissanee,  he  found  the  religious  belief  of  university  students  to  be 
nominal,  their  lives  immoral  and  the  Church  uninfluential.  Others  like 
Guarino,  the  finest  Italian -Greek  scholar  of  his  time,  bravely  but  vainly 
attempted  to  elevate  the  university  life;  and  Vittorino  da  Feltre,  the  first 
modern  schoolmaster,  resigned  his  chair  in  the  University  of  Padua,  after 
growing  hopeless  in  his  battle  with  evil  tendencies,  and  organized  at  Man¬ 
tua,  a  school  of  the  Xew  Learning  on  a  Christian  foundation,  that  has 
been  celebrated  for  centuries,  as  much  for  its  religious  atmosphere  and 
manly  spirit  as  for  its  sound  classical  teaching.  Our  age  has  followed  the 
example  of  Vittorino  in  the  establishment  of  the  Church  School  and  the 
Denominational  College,  in  both  of  which  it  has  been  possible  to  maintain 
and  foster  Christian  ideals;  but  to  follow  his  example  farther,  and  to  with¬ 
draw  from  our  university  centers  Avhere  religious  instruction  has  been 
eliminated  from  education,  those  personalities  that  will  utter  the  claim  of 
the  Church  and  of  religion  upon  the  mind  and  conscience  of  students, 
would  be  to  evade  our  gravest  educational  problem  and  to  ignore  our  finest 
ecclesiastical  opportunity.  It  is  one  of  the  signs  of  better  things  coming 
that  the  Church  has  not  evaded  her  task  but  that  she  has  passed  with 
splendid  persistence  through  those  discouragements  that  always  beset  points 
of  departure,  and  is  now  in  contact  with  our  university  life,  with  methods 
and  men  to  enforce  her  claim,  and  not  without  hope  of  means. 

I  have  been  asked  to  define  this  claim  the  Church  has  on  University 
men,  and  this  I  shall  attempt  briefly  to  do.  The  definition  will  issue  clearly 
if  it  is  remembered  that  there  are  in  the  university  life,  in  so  far  as  con¬ 
cerns  the  Church,  three  groups  of  students. 


15 


First,  there  is  the  group  of  those  'who  are  ineuibers  of  tlie  Christian 
Church,  Church-membership  gives  the  university  man  a  claim  upon  the 
Church,  and  it  also  gives  the  Church  a  claim  upon  the  university  man.  It 
is  a  mutual  covenant.  It  means  sympathy,  co-operation  and  help.  It  gives 
to  the  3'outh  an  ecclesiastical  mother;  it  gives  to  the  Church  an  ecclesi¬ 
astical  child.  This  means  that  they  are  united  in  a  common  religious  life 
and  worship  and  work.  The  claim  of  the  youth  is  filial,  for  he  is  a  spir¬ 
itual  child;  that  of  the  Church  is  maternal,  for  she  is  his  spiritual  mother. 
Whatever  maternal  interest,  solicitude  and  help  can  follow  a  son  there  it 
is  bound  to  go,  and,  ha\nng  followed  him  to  his  university  life,  it  there 
lays  claim  upon  him  for  his  interest,  solicitude  and  help.  Her  claim  is  a 
covenanted  claim.  Neither  university  nor  student  Avill  oppose  this  claim 
if  it  guards  its  approach  so  as  not  to  invade  academic  duties  and  rights. 
And  her  claim  upon  the  student  is  this  that,  as  he  reorganizes  his  religious 
conceptions  to  meet  the  demands  of  his  grooving  mind,  he  shall  turn  to 
his  mother  for  counsel  as  he  undertakes  to  re-define  his  beliefs,  and  shall 
seek  her  help  as  he  seeks  to  resolve  those  questions  Avhich  are  left  as  a 
residuum  from  scientific  and  philosophic  class-rooms  where  reconciliations 
are  not  attempted;  that  he  shall  give  to  her  his  confidence;  that  he  shall 
continue  to  practice  those  unchangeable  liturgies  of  the  soul  that  find  help 
in  forms  of  worship;  that  he  shall  co-operate  in  attempting  to  realize  the 
world  obligations  and  the  sacrificial  spirit  of  Christianity,  and  that  he  shall 
graduate  from  his  student  opportunities  a  life  that  shall  yield  itself  to 
advantage  God  in  His  purpose  of  redeeming  the  world.  Unless  church- 
membership  is  so  nominal  as  to  be  meaningless,  the  Christian  Church  is 
bound  to  claim  just  such  vital,  covenant  relationship  with  every  one  of  its 
youth  enrolled  in  university  study. 

Second,  there  is  a  group  composed  of  non  Church-members.  They  have 
never  entered  the  fellowship  of  the  Church  themselves  but  are  affiliated  with 
it  as  the  children  of  those  who  are  churchmen.  Upon  this  group,  too,  the 
Church  has  a  claim.  It  may  not  be  so  obvious  or  direct,  but  it  is  equally 
valid.  These  youth  are  the  heritors  of  generations  of  Christian  influence 
and  life.  The  Church  must  remind  them  of  those  heroic  souls  with  whom 
their  history  is  inextricably  woven,  and  by  Avhose  faithfulness  the  channels 
of  hereditary  good  have  been  kept  clean  and  full,  and  it  is  the  business 
of  the  Church  to  claim  these  heirs  of  Christian  generations  as  members  of 
the  evangelical  succession.  Centuries  ago  an  old  Father  in  the  Church 
preached  one  great  sermon  across  northern  Africa,  rousing  everywhere  a 
passion  that  had  become  decadent.  His  message  is  that  which  the  Church 
must  voice  to  this  group, — ‘  ‘  Live  up  to  your  birthrights.  ’  ’  The  claim  of 
the  Church  as  it  utters  this  call  is  imposed  and  enforced  by  those  genera¬ 
tions  that  have  passed  into  silence  leaAung  to  the  Church  the  rich  legacy" 
of  its  unfiuished  campaigns  and  its  war-cries. 

And  in  every  university  center  there  is  a  third  group.  It  is  made  up  of 
those  youth  who  are  unchurched.  Neither  of  their  oAvn  volition  nor  through 
hereditary  example  have  they  been  affiliated  with  organized  Christianity. 
If  an  ancertral  alignment  existed  it  Avas  fractured  so  far  in  the  past  that 


16 


it  has  no  influence  or  appeal.  Upon  the  members  of  this  group  the  Church 
has  a  claim,  Tt  is  the  spokesman  of  the  greatest  of  all  universal  truths. 
It  is  the  representative  of  the  God  Avho  has  said,  “All  souls  are  mine,” 
and  it  is  the  historic  embodiment  of  the  spirit  and  teaching  of  the  Christ 

^A■ho  said,  “  1  will  draw  all  men  unto  me.”  As  such  it  has  a  valid  claim  to 

consideration  as  it  undertakes  to  restate  the  fundamentals  of  the  religion 
that  has  been  so  potent  in  the  lives  of  men  whom  the  world  counts  as  its 
most  intelligent  and  its  best.  Since  it  has  come  to  pass  that  “the  Ameri¬ 
can  state  will  never  again  undertake  the  most  important  part  of  education, 
the  development  of  the  religions  nature,”  the  entire  responsibility  in  en¬ 
forcing  this  claim  rests  with  the  Christian  Church. 

Such,  I  believe,  is  the  claim  of  the  Church  upon  the  university  man.  It 
is  a  claim  that  the  Church  may  voice  with  neither  A’igor  nor  tact.  It  is 
one  that  the  student  may  ignore  or  evade,  and  that  he  may  neither  hear 

Avith  zest  nor  accept  Avith  zeal,  but  the  claim  remains  for  Church  and  student 

alike,  a  claim  backed  by  an  imperatiA’e  that  is  diA'ine. 

(Note:  This  is  not  a  stenographic  report  but  is  compiled  from  the 
speaker’s  notes.) 


HANDLING  THE  EELIGIOUS  PROBLEMS  OF  COLLEGE  STUDENTS 
By  President  Francis  M  ’Connell,  D.  D. 

(This  address  was  printed  in  full  in  the  Methodist  Review,  April,  1912.) 

In  describing  the  progress  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  the  Master  once  spoke 
of  successive  stages  of  growth — the  blade,  the  ear,  and  after  that  the  full 
corn  in  the  ear.  It  is  easy  enough  to  see  the  kingdom  in  the  earliest  and 
the  latest  stages.  The  period  of  blossom  seems  divine  enough,  as  does  also 
the  period  of  ripened  grain.  There  is  an  in-between  period,  lioAveA’er, 
when  the  presence  of  the  divine  is  not  altogether  a  matter  of  sight — a  period 
of  hardness  and  bitterness,  when  the  kingdom  is  passing  aAvay  from  the 
stage  of  blossom  and  has  not  yet  attained  the  richness  and  ripeness  of 
maturity. 

If  Ave  may  take  these  stages  as  in  any  sense  real  in  the  progress  of  tlie 
kingdom  in  the  life  of  the  individual,  Ave  may  Avithout  great  violence  fit 
them  to  certain  organic  changes  through  Avhicli  the  groAving  life  passes. 
HeaA^en  seems  to  lie  round  about  the  stage  of  infancy,  the  time  of  blade 
and  blossom.  Heaven  also  seems  to  croAAn  the  head  of  the  developed  saint 
with  glory.  But  the  period  between,  Avhen  the  youth  is  neither  a  child  nor 
yet  a  man,  is  one  which  it  strains  our  faith  to  recognize  as  especially  the 
sphere  of  divine  influence.  Great  as  are  the  problems  of  the  child-life  and 
the  man-life,  the  problems  of  adolescent-life  are  greater  still.  Very  often 
A\e  drift  to  the  conclusion  that  in  this  period  the  mind  must  be  left  to  take 
care  of  itself,  or  we  conclude  that  in  so  uncertain  a  time  any  sort  of  hit-or- 
miss  method  of  religious  effort  will  do.  The  period  is  one  of  transition  from 
the  state  of  absolute  reliance  upon  the  judgment  of  another  to  confidence 
in  one’s  oAvn  judgment;  but  rebelliousness  and  arrogance  and  conceit 


17 


appear  all  along  the  way.  In  sore  perplexity  we  often  imagine  that  about 
all  we  can  do  is  to  olfer  a  prayer  for  divine  protection  on  the  growing  life 
and  then  close  our  eyes  and  hold  our  breath.  Still,  if  the  in-between  stage 
is  really  an  inevitable  stage  in  the  development  of  the  kingdom,  there  must 
be  at  least  some  general  rules  of  wisdom  to  guide  the  spiritual  counselor  as 
he  labors  with  the  growing  mind,  which  is  not  white  with  the  blossom  of 
childhood  or  golden  with  the  glory  of  the  harvest,  but  green  with  the  sour¬ 
ness  of  the  half-ripe  stage. 

It  will  no  doubt  be  an  offense  to  the  ordinary  student  to  tell  him  that  his 
mind  is  green,  but  we  do  so  without  any  of  the  implications  and  suggestions 
which  cling  to  that  word  when  it  is  applied  contemptuously  to  the  student. 
We  have  said  that  this  is  an  inevitable  stage  of  development,  and  therefore 
a  stage  under  the  operation  of  divine  law.  It  is  not  a  stage  at  which  we 
are  to  make  wuy  faces.  In  the  grain  fields  and  orchards  this  is  the  stage 
at  which  the  sun  turns  his  rays  most  directly  upon  the  fruit.  And  while 
half-ripe  fruit  is  not  to  be  used  as  food,  it  nevertheless  has  a  beauty  and 
charm  all  its  own.  Much  of  the  beauty  of  the  ripe  grain  or  the  golden 
fruit  comes  out  of  the  thought  of  profit  which  we  see  as  we  anticipate  the 
day  when  w'e  shall  load  the  wagons  and  drive  to  market;  but  even  when 
looked  at  in  itself  and  for  its  own  sake,  green  fruit  is  not  without  beauty. 

The  minister  who  is  so  fortunate  as  to  be  placed  in  charge  of  college 
students  must  realize  that  he  is  dealing  with  the  problem  of  later  adoles¬ 
cence.  The  youth  is  about  to  emerge  into  the  man,  but  he  has  not  yet 
emerged.  As  spiritual  adviser,  as  preacher,  as  utilizer  and  director  of 
religious  energies,  the  minister  must  not  forget  that  he  is  dealing  with 
neither  children  nor  men.  He  is  dealing  with  life  in  the  period  of  later 
adolescence.  Every  once  in  a  while  a  freakishness  of  a  childishness  that  the 
minister  had  hoped  had  passed  will  carry  the  youth  into  something  absurd 
or  silly.  Every  little  while  boyishness  will  recover  itself  and  masquerade 
in  the  lineaments  of  a  youth  almost  a  man.  And  quite  frequently,  too, 
there  will  come  deeds  of  such  virile  might  that  the  minister  will  rejoice 
as  at  a  fresh  manifestation  of  the  divine. 

As  spiritual  adviser,  it  is  well  for  the  minister  dealing  with  college  stu¬ 
dents  to  remember  that  this  period  of  youth  is  not  apt  to  be  given  to  the 
baser  sins.  Of  course  sin  is  sin,  but  there  are  sinners  and  sinners.  The 
most  abject  sinners  are  those  who  are  guilty  of  breaches  of  trust  and 
responsibility,  offenses  against  friendship,  betrayers  of  love.  Making  due 
allowance  for  the  occasional  offender  of  this  kind,  it  must  be  said  that  in 
general  the  college  atmosphere  is  overwhelmingly  against  such  evil.  The 
standards  of  honor  among  the  students  themselves  are  high,  and  academic 
spirit  is  always  for  honesty  in  workmanship.  Any  one  who  has  had 
experience  with  a  body  of  a  thousand  students,  and  with  a  city  church 
of  a  thousand  members,  knows  that  on  the  whole  the  temptations  of  college 
life  are  not  so  much  toward  sordid  spirit  or  traitorous  ambition  as  are  those 
of  town  or  city  life.  The  college  man  who  shows  yellow’^  has  but  little 
chance  of  keeping  his  standing  in  a  college  community,  though  he  may  re¬ 
tain  his  standing  elsewhere.  The  deep  and  dark  sins  against  ideals  of 


18 


integrity,  base  betrayals  of  trust,  calculating  cynicism,  are  fortunately  not 
the  sins  against  which  the  minister  to  college  students  has  to  contend. 

The  evils  of  later  adolescence  are  evils  of  physical  appetite,  frivolty  of 
spirit,  and  general  thoughtlessness  and  heedlessness.  In  dealing  with  these, 
the  minister  can  rightly  indulge  a  spirit  of  hope.  If  the  right  sort  of  in¬ 
fluence  can  be  kept  upon  the  youth,  the  chances  are  that  he  will  draw  away 
from  these  things.  In  the  very  fact  that  the  youth  is  every  day  getting 
older,  there  is  hope.  As  regards  the  prevalence  of  sins  of  physical  indul¬ 
gence,  the  truth  is  no  doubt  bad  enough.  But  it  is  not  so  bad  as  it  is 
painted.  Taking  the  colleges  of  the  country  together,  it  is  probably  a  safe 
estimate  to  say  that  forty  per  cent,  of  the  men  are  working  their  way,  in 
whole  or  in  part,  through  school.  Physical  indulgence  is  not  apt  to  be 
characteristic  of  that  forty  per  cent.  It  must  be  remembered  that  a  small 
portion  of  dissipating  men  can  give  a  school  an  evil  name  all  out  of  propor¬ 
tion  to  their  number.  And  again  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  very  influ¬ 
ences  which  once  were  thought  of  as  furthering  the  spirit  of  dissipation 
are  now  in  a  measure  set  for  sobriety.  It  may  be  a  long  time  before  fra¬ 
ternities  are  all  that  ought  to  be  in  this  direction,  but  they  have  taken  some 
very  pronounced  stands  of  late — as,  for  example,  against  the  use  of  liquor 
in  chapter  houses.  Any  one  familiar  with  the  colleges  of  the  country  for 
the  past  twenty-five  years  will  readily  admit  that  dissipation  in  college  today 
is  bad  enough,  but  will  insist  also  that  it  is  not  as  bad  as  it  once  was. 

The  evil  name  that  colleges  get  as  centers  of  dissipation  is  helped  on  from 
bad  to  worse  by  the  entire  willingness  of  the  adolescent  mind  to  do  any¬ 
thing  it  can  to  shock  older  minds.  If  a  student  joins  his  fellows  in  singing 
a  drinking  song,  the  conclusion  seems  legitimate  that  the  sympathies  of  the 
singer  are  with  the  drinkers.  There  is  nothing  wrong  with  the  logic  except 
that  it  will  not  hold  good  in  the  case  of  green  adolescents.  A  hundred  col¬ 
lege  students  will  sing  a  wanton  drinking  song.  Ninety  out  of  the  hundred 
may  be  total  abstainers.  Why  do  they  sing?  .lust  to  shock  some  one,  or 
get  some  one  ‘‘up  in  the  air,”  or  to  enjoy  the  swing  of  the  lilt,  or  for  the 
fun  of  it,  whatever  that  is.  The  situation  calls  for  patience  and  for  posses¬ 
sion  of  one’s  temper. 

A  more  common  temptation  is  to  a  frivolty  which  is  all  the  more  danger¬ 
ous  because  it  is  sometimes  so  serious.  The  student  throws  himself  head¬ 
long  into  a  dozen  enterprises,  each  of  which  on  its  own  account  is  worthy 
enough,  but  a  dozen  of  them  taken  together  will  ruin  any  but  the  strongest 
minds.  Woodrow  Wilson  once  asked  a  youngster  why  he  did  not  do  better 
work  in  his  classes.  The  youth  replied  that  he  was  too  busy  running  the 
college.  This  may  have  been  literally  true.  In  these  days  of  student  self- 
government  and  of  manifold  other  student  activities,  the  student  may  lie 
busy  ‘  ‘  running  the  college.  ’  ’  And  if  ever  youth  needed  guidance  of  the 
right  sort,  it  is  in  this  matter  of  what  might  be  called  serious  frivolties 
The  dean  of  Leland  Stanford  University  has  recently  pointed  out  that  the 
organizational  activities  of  our  American  colleges  are  fast  becoming  to 
constitute  a  sort  of  college  within  the  college,  taking  more  time  and  energy 
than  the  legitimate  college  itself.  This,  however,  is  more  properly  the  prob- 


19 


lorn  of  the  faculty  than  of  the  minister,  though  it  has  a  moral  aspect  in 
the  liability  of  the  student  to  get  a  false  perspective  at  a  period  which 
needs  to  have  the  perspective  kept  true. 

In  counseling  minds  in  the  distresses  of  skepticism,  the  minister  must  re¬ 
member  that  he  is  dealing  with  adolescence.  Adolescent  skepticism  is  of 
two  types,  which,  though  contradictory,  may  be  found  at  one  and  the  same 
instant  and  in  one  and  the  same  mind — the  thoughtless  skepticism  and  the 
thoughful  skepticism.  The  thoughtless  skepticism  may  come  out  of  the 
fondness  for  shocking  older  minds  which  is  part  of  the  green  period.  What 
is  needed  in  dealing  with  this  type  is  good  humor,  even  when  the  most  radi¬ 
cal  vie^vs  about  the  Bible  or  church  or  religious  experience  of  the  state  or 
the  family  are  advanced.  Along  with  the  thoughtlessness,  hoAvever,  may  go 
a  streak  of  thoughtfulness  Avhich  is  at  times  melancholy  almost  to  the  point 
of  tragedy.  Especially  if  the  youth  is  introspective,  are  his  reflections  more 
painful  than  he  is  apt  to  admit.  Prom  the  standpoint  of  maturer  experi¬ 
ence,  the  situation  is  intelligible  enough.  The  growing  mind  is  a  surprise 
to  the  possessor.  It  is  taking  on  functions  which  its  owner  did  not  forsee. 
Old  things  are  passing  away  and  new  things  are  approaching.  Happy  is 
the  youth  at  such  a  period  if  he  has  some  wise  counselor  whose  wisdom 
shows  itself  chiefly  in  a  Avillingness  to  listen.  The  great  pastors  have 
always  been  the  great  listeners.  If  the  skeptic  learns  that  what  he  is  saying 
is  not,  after  all,  especially  new — and  what,  after  all,  is  harder  than  to  utter 
a  new  skepticism? — if  he  learns  that  the  experience  of  skepticism  itself  is 
not  new,  if  he  finds  a  patient  listener  to  whom  he  can  talk  it  all  out,  no 
great  harm  is  likely  to  come.  Here  again,  we  come  upon  one  of  the  strange 
contradictions  of  adolescent  life.  Ordinarily,  talking  skepticism  fastens  the 
skepticism  in  the  mind.  Skepticism  grows  with  utterance.  In  the  case  of 
the  minds  with  which  we  are  now  dealing,  quite  an  opposite  result  may  take 
])lace.  Youths  need  the  chance  to  talk  themselves  out.  A  college  communi¬ 
ty  can  possess  no  greater  asset  than  a  wise  religious  counselor  who  is  willing 
to  drop  anything  at  any  time  for  the  sake  of  letting  youthful  skepticism 
have  a  chance  to  express  itself.  The  adolescent  mind  passes  through  a  sort 
of  intellectual  teething-time.  The  wise  minister,  like  the  wise  mother,  is 
at  hand  to  see  that  conditions  do  not  become  too  serious,  but  for  the  most 
]>art  there  is  need  for  good-humored  sympathy  and  for  a  resolution  not  to 
doctor  the  patient  to  death.  And  above  all  is  the  need  for  that  sort  of 
])atienee  which  is  willing  to  give  itself  to  what  to  the  onlooker  may  seem  to 
be  a  Avaste  of  precious  time.  The  methodical  plodder  with  his  routine  sched¬ 
ule  will  not  get  far  in  pastoral  Avork  among  students.  There  is  this  con¬ 
stant  need  of  a  Avillingness  to  drop  anything  and  talk.  In  general,  the 
minister  is  abvays  in  danger  of  ov'er-mechanicalized  pastoral  Avork.  If  a 
man’s  body  is  disordered,  the  man  may  call  by  appointment  at  the  doctor’s 
office  betAveen  2  and  2:15  p.  ni.  and  get  a  prescription.  Doubts  and  temp¬ 
tations  cannot  be  dealt  AAoth  in  quite  so  summary  a  fashion.  The  great  pas¬ 
tors  always  haA^e  plenty  of  time.  It  is  their  business  to  find  time. 

The  problem  of  preaching  to  college  students  is  supposed  to  call  for 
superior  intellectual  ability.  Good  preaching  anywhere  calls  for  such  ability. 


20 


but  the  ability  demanded  by  the  college  students  is  not  of  the  kind  some¬ 
times  supposed.  The  ability  is  not  that  of  saying  profound  or  learned  or 
abstruse  things.  It  is  the  ability,  first  of  all,  which  lays  stress  upon  siin 
plicity  of  statement.  The  less  college  preaching  has  to  do  with  the  prol> 
lems  of  the  class-room  the  better.  Students  are  not  especially  anxious  to 
take  an  extra  course  of  lectures  on  Sunday  morning.  They  appreciate  sim 
plicity  of  statement  above  almost  all  other  audiences  that  can  be  found. 
But  simplicity  in  a  sermon,  like  simplicity  elsewhere,  is  the  costliest  of 
charms.  The  elaborately  and  gaudily  decorated  creations,  whether  houses, 
furniture,  picture,  or  sermons,  are  cheap.  Simplicity  costs.  In  preaching, 
it  costs  long  hours  of  brooding  till  what  is  irrelevant  and  unnecessary  is 
stripped  away.  Simplicity  comes  not  so  much  out  of  the  attempt  to  polish 
a  statement  into  artistic  form  as  out  of  the  effort  to  make  the  great  essen¬ 
tials  stand  out.  It  is  reached  not  so  much  by  going  down  to  little  things  as 
by  reaching  up  after  great  things.  The  greater  truth,  the  easier  to  state  it 
in  a  sentence.  And  when  simplicity  of  this  stamp  has  been  reached,  it  is 
marvelously  effective.  Striking  the  ordinary  mind  in  the  audience,  it  of 
necessity  touches  all  the  minds  above  the  ordinary.  The  more  extraordinaiy 
the  student,  the  more  he  appreciates  the  statement  which  impresses  the 
ordinar}’^  mind.  The  preacher  who  can  thus  touch  the  lowlier  mind  with  a 
statement  which  is  intelligible,  is  quite  likely  in  the  same  putting  of  the 
truth  to  give  forth  something  that  to  the  extraordinary  mind  is  richly  sug¬ 
gestive.  And  the  advantage  of  this  sort  of  statement  for  the  college  mind  is 
that  the  college  mind  has  to  be  hit,  so  to  speak.  ‘  ‘  on  the  wing. '  ’  The  mind 
is  changing  rapidly  in  its  view  of  things;  and  the  preacher  who  can  make 
a  live  religious  conception  stick  fast  in  a  consciousness  passing  rapidly 
through  this  period  of  transition,  is  indeed  great.  In  laying  stress  thus 
upon  the  virtue  of  simplicity,  we  are  only  calling  attention  to  a  quality 
which  makes  teachers  likewise  popular  with  students.  The  element  of  state¬ 
ment  is  almost  always  an  element  in  the  popularity  of  teachers  who  have 
real  hold  on  their  students.  It  is  said  that  Agassiz  used  to  insist  that  there 
are  three  stages  in  scientific  exposition — first  and  easiest,  the  scientific  mono¬ 
graph;  second  and  harder,  the  popular  lecture;  hardest  and  most  important 
of  all,  the  expression  of  truth  with  such  simplicity  that  tlie  lowliest  normal 
intelligence  is  made  to  understand. 

This  word  about  popular  teachers  suggests  another  lesson  which  the  min¬ 
ister  to  college  students  con  learn  from  the  teacher.  The  really  inspiring 
teacher  is  the  one  whose  mind  is  always  in  the  mood  of  expectancy  and 
discovery.  One  phenomenon  of  college  life  is  the  popularity  of  the  teacher 
who  is  dealing  at  first-hand  with  facts.  The  facts  may  not  themselves  be  of 
one  sort  rather  than  another,  and  indeed  it  does  not  seem  to  make  great 
difference  just  what  the  facts  are.  But  there  is  something  so  alive  about  a 
mind  which  has  just  made,  or  is  about  to  make,  a  discovery  in  any  realm 
at  all  worth  while,  that  such  a  mind  has  the  pov;er  to  interest  and  hold 
others.  Such  a  teacher  speaks  with  authority.  And  the  preacher  who  speaks 
with  like  authority  does  not  lack  hearers.  This  does  not  mean  that  he  is 
to  be  forever  talking  about  what  others  are  saying  about  what  is  going  on 


21 


in  the  religious  realm.  It  is  well  for  him  to  know  what  the  bibilical  students 
are  saying  and  what  the  modern  workers  are  trying  to  achieve  in  the  mani¬ 
fold  applications  of  the  gospel  to  modern  needs.  But  more  important  is  it 
that  he  himself  be  in  the  attitude  of  expectant  discovery  toward  the  mean¬ 
ing  of  the  biblical  revelation,  and  toward  the  teachings  of  experience  in 
his  own  life  and  in  the  throbbing  life  around  him.  The  power  to  surprise 
is  one  factor  in  the  interesting  presentation  of  the  truth.  Surprise  is  hardly 
possible  with  conceptions  which  have  not  changed  either  in  substance  or 
form  in  the  last  ten  years. 

And  it  goes  without  saying  that  the  great  appeal  in  religion,  as  elsewhere 
in  dealing  with  the  adolescent  mind,  is  the  appeal  to  the  heroic.  It  is  a 
great  mistake  to  fancy  that  the  way  to  influence  young  men  for  religion 
is  to  make  life  easy.  Of  course  the  day  of  asceticism  for  asceticism’s 

sake  is  gone.  We  avoid  suffering,  if  good  is  not  to  come  from 

suffering.  But  the  really  heroic  has  never  stood  out  to  young 

men  more  attractively  than  today.  The  college  atmosphere  itself 
is  full  of  it.  If  occasion  arises,  heroism  is  expected  as  a  matter 
of  course.  We  may  say  all  we  please  about  the  havoc  which  rich 

men’s  sons  make  in  college  life;  but  the  fact  remains  that  no  realm  is  today 
so  free  from  subserviency  as  is  the  college  atmosphere.  Nowhere  else  does 
a  man  count  so  nearly  for  what  he  is.  Nowhere  else  is  his  measure  so 
accurately  taken.  And  in  the  taking  of  that  measure  the  element  of  the 
heroic  in  a  man  is  a  great  determining  factor.  The  truth  is  that  in  our  day 
all  the  causes  which  appeal  to  the  heroic  have  to  find  their  recruits  from 
the  college.  If  an  appeal  is  to  be  made  which  calls  for  a  complete  disregard 
of  consequences,  if  followers  are  sought  for  in  some  forlorn  hope  where  a 
leader  is  going  to  almost  certain  defeat,  if  social  reforms  are  to  be  under¬ 
taken  at  home  or  missionary  enterprises  beyond  the  seas,  where  does  the 
appeal  meet  the  largest  response?  If  the  minister  to  college  students  is 
wise,  he  will  not  put  the  Cross  of  his  Master  out  of  sight.  That  Master 
himself  when  upon  earth  drew  around  him  a  band  of  devoted  young  fol¬ 
lowers,  and  did  so  without  concealing  the  hardships  of  the  nev\^  faith.  The 
Christian  sphere  is  not  easy.  There  is  no  use  of  our  trying  to  make  it 
appear  so.  There  is  every  reason  why  we  should  frankly  recognize  the 
liardships.  The  most  effective  appeal  to  young  men  is  that  which  gives 
them  to  understand  that  hardship  is  to  be  expected  as  a  matter  of  course. 
If  the  Cross  is  rightly  presented,  it  is  to  the  young  mind  the  most  com¬ 
pelling  fact  in  the  gospel. 

It  remains  to  say  just  a  word  about  utilizing  and  directing  the  religious 
activities  of  students  while  they  are  actually  in  college.  Too  often  the 
cry  is  raised  that  there  is  not  enough  which  is  distinctly  Christian  in  the 
work  of  the  college  student  to  furnish  adequate  means  of  grace  for  him. 
Too  often  also  it  is  tacitly  assumed  that  the  real  work  of  the  Christian  is 
to  begin  after  he  has  passed  beyond  the  college  walls,  college  itself  being 
hurried  through  with  impatience  to  reach  the  outer  fields.  And  yet  if  we 
believe  in  Providence  at  all,  we  must  believe  that  the  young  people  are  in 
college — if  they  have  any  right  to  be  there — because  a  divine  plan  has  put 


22 


them  there.  Tlie  college  life  itself  is  the  great  sphere  for  the  exercise  of 
the  Christian  in  grace,  and  the  regular  activities  of  the  college  are  the 
chief  part  of  that  sphere.  If  Christianity  is  to  show  itself  worth  while  in 
college  life,  it  must  come  in  as  a  reinforcement  of  the  student ’s  energies 
as  he  strives  to  do  the  regular  work  of  a  student.  At  least  during  the  first 
half  of  the  college  career  the  student  ought  not  to  concern  himself  over¬ 
much  with  what  he  is  to  do  when  he  gets  out.  He  comes  to  college  partly 
to  learn  how  to  make  decisions.  Other  things  being  equal,  he  ought  to  be 
able  to  make  a  better  decision  concerning  a  life  work  in  the  latter  half  of 
the  college  career  than  in  the  earlier  half.  If  a  student  is  a  freshman,  it 
is  his  Christian  duty  to  do  the  work  of  a  freshman.  Unless  he  is  exception¬ 
ally  mature,  he  would  better  not  trouble  himself  too  much  about  what  his 
tasks  are  to  be  Avhen  he  gets  out. 

Who  is  sufficient  to  minister  to  the  college  student  in  this  day?  Probably 
no  one  adequately.  But  sufficiency  is,  after  all,  a  matter  of  degree;  and 
any  man  who  has  had  a  real  call  to  the  ministry,  and  takes  that  call  seri¬ 
ously  enough  to  give  his  best  to  any  task  that  confronts  him,  can  be  vitally 
effective  in  shaping  the  moral  life  and  religious  experience  of  youths  who 
need  most  of  all  to  have  playing  upon  them  the  ripening  influence  of  a 
warm  and  genuine  religious  leadership. 


EEPORT  OF  SPECIAL  COMMITTEE  ON  INVESTIGATION  OF 
BIBLICAL  AND  RELIGIOUS  COURSES  FOR  CREDITS  IN 
STATE  UNIVERSITIES  (QUESTIONNAIRE) 

By  Dean  Charles  M.  Sharpe,  Member  of  Committee 

To  THE  Conference  op  Church  Workers  in  State  Universities: 

Your  committee  appointed  to  investigate  the  official  teaching  of  biblical 
and  religious  subjects  in  state  universities,  and  the  method  of  accrediting 
such  courses  when  taught  by  other  agencies,  begs  to  report  as  follows: 

The  committee  sent  out  a  brief  questionnaire  to  the  iwesidents  of  some 
thirty  universities,  embodying  the  following  points: 

1.  What  subjects  that  may  be  considered  biblical  or  religious  are  now 
included  in  the  curriculum  of  your  institution? 

2.  Are  any  such  subjects  taught  adjacent  to  your  cam])us  by  church 
agencies?  If  so,  does  your  insitution  grant  credits  to  university  students 
who  may  elect  these  courses?  What  is  the  practical  arrangement  under 
which  these  credits  are  extended? 

3.  If  church  agencies  should  ofler  such  courses  at  the  seat  of  your  uni¬ 
versity  and  should  satisfy  the  academic  standards  maintained  by  your 
faculty,  do  you  know  of  any  good  and  sufiicient  reason  why  credits  should 
not  be  granted  under  proper  restrictions  as  to  the  amount  of  Avork  a  student 
might  elect?  What,  if  any,  practical  difficulties  do  you  conceive  to  stand 
in  the  way  of  such  recognition? 

Twenty-five  replies  were  received  ansAvering  these  questions  more  or  less 
fully.  An  analysis  of  the  letters  yields  the  folloAving  data: 


I.  The  Universities  offering  more  or  less  instruction  in  biblical  and  reli¬ 
gious  subjects  as  a  part  of  the  regular  curricula  are  as  follows:  Wisconsin, 
California,  Michigan,  Virginia,  Iowa,  Colorado,  Illinois,  Minnesota,  Okla¬ 
homa,  and  Utah.  The  amount  of  instruction  in  subjects  of  this  nature 
ranges  all  the  way  from  one  course  to  well  developed  departments  with  a 
large  variety  of  courses.  The  University  of  Wisconsin  has  a  department  of 
Hebrew  and  Hellenistic  Greek  in  Avhich  twenty-seven  courses  are  listed.  The 
University  of  California  has  a  department  of  Semitic  Languages  with  six¬ 
teen  courses  enumerated.  The  University  of  Michigan  has  a  department  of 
Semitics,  Hellenistic  Greek,  and  studies  in  the  English  Bible.  Twenty-six 
courses  are  printed  in  the  calendar.  The  University  of  Virginia  includes  in 
its  faculty  a  professor  of  Biblical  History  and  Literature  who  offers  a  large 
number  of  courses  of  undergraduate  and  graduate  grade.  This  chair  while 
coordinate  with  all  others  is  maintained  by  a  fund  provided  by  a  religious 
agency. 

Of  the  universities  reporting,  the  four  above  mentioned  are  the  only  ones 
that  makes  any  large  or  special  provision  for  biblical  studies.  It  is,  how¬ 
ever,  common  in  the  departments  of  philosophy  to  find  courses  in  Philosophy 
of  Religion,  or  History  and  Psychology  of  Religion. 

An  inspection  of  the  descriptions  of  these  studies  in  the  various  catalogues 
reveals,  as  is  to  be  expected,  the  fact  that  the  highest  academic  ideals  pre- 
A’ail  with  regard  to  them.  The  interest  is  primarily  scientific.  This  is  as  it 
should  and  must  be,  and  if  it  is  sufficiently  scientific  to  be  sympathetic  and 
to  pierce  to  the  significance  of  the  phenomena  under  examination  nothing 
more  could  be  desired. 

II.  The  following  institutions  recognize  and  in  different  Avays  cooperate 
Avith  the  extra-official  agencies  in  the  promotion  of  biblical  and  religious 
studies : 

1.  The  UniA^ersity  of  Texas.  There  are  tAAo  institutions  offering  such 
instruction  adjacent  to  the  camjAus,  viz.,  “The  Texas  Bible  Chair”  (Disci- 
])le)  and  “The  Austin  Presbyterian  Theological  Seminary.”  The  instruc¬ 
tion  must  conform  to  all  uniA’ersity  regulations,  and  is  limited  to  students  of 
at  least  sophomore  rank.  The  consent  of  the  dean  of  the  faculty  must  be 
secured  in  advance  in  each  case.  The  course  must  be  completed  with  grade 
of  at  least  C,  and  no  student  may  carry  more  than  one  course  outside  of  the 
university.  The  arrangement  is  said  to  be  Avorking  satisfactorily. 

2.  The  University  of  loAva  has  an  arrangement  under  which  properly 
qualified  ministers  of  the  various  churches  may  give  courses  under  the  direc¬ 
tion  and  superA'ision  of  a  committee  from  the  faculty  of  liberal  arts.  Such 
courses  are  credited  upon  the  same  basis  as  other  electh’es.  They  are  not 
open  to  freshmen.  The  privileges  extended  under  this  arrangement  are  open 
to  any  religious  agencies  seeking  them. 

The  UniA^ersity  of  Missouri.  The  Bible  College  of  Missouri  (Disciple) 
offers  a  somewhat  complete  divinity  course  and  its  work  is  credited  by  the 
university  under  the  folloAving  arrangement:  Eight  selected  courses  of 
general  educational  value  are  recognized  for  credit  and  are  assigned  to  the 
oversight  of  the  various  departments  in  the  unh^ersity  in  which  they  are 


24 


most  nearly  related  by  reason  of  their  subject  matter.  University  standards 
must  be  observed.  The  student  must  secure  in  advance  the  consent  of  the 
(lepartment  to  vhich  the  subject  he  desires  to  study  has  been  assigned,  and 
may  not  take  more  than  nine  hours  during  his  undergraduate  period.  Thus 
the  Bible  College  is  placed  on  the  same  basis  as  other  professional  schools 
in  their  relation  to  the  College  of  Science  and  Arts.  Needless  to  say,  the 
same  privilege  would  be  extended  any  other  institution  of  similar  standing. 

4.  The  University  or  Oregon.  The  Eugene  Bible  University  (Disciple) 
gives  instruction  in  biblical  and  religious  subjects  adjacent  to  the  university. 
Its  work  is  recognized  to  a  limited  extent  and,  in  specific  cases,  is  passed 
upon  by  a  special  committee  which  recommends  or  refuses  credits  according 
to  its  judgment. 

5.  University  of  North  Dakota.  Wesley  College  (Methodist)  is  affiliated 
with  the  university  and  its  Mork  is  credited  to  the  extent  of  thirty-two 
semester  hours  toward  the  A.  B.  degree.  It  is  stated  that  this  is  considered 
a  highly  desirable  arrangement. 

III.  The  following  is  a  list  of  universities  at  which  there  are  no  agencies 
offering  biblical  or  religious  instruction  of  university  grade,  but  which  would 
l)e  willing  to  extend  credit  for  such  under  proper  conditions: 

1.  Wisconsin.  Informant  writes,  “1  know  of  no  reason  why  such  rela¬ 
tions  might  not  be  entered  into.  No  doubt  practical  difficulties  would  dis¬ 
close  themselves,  but  in  advance  I  see  none  that  are  insuperable.  ’  ’ 

2.  Kentucky.  ‘  ‘  Such  an  arrangement  might  be  effected  if  it  were 
clearly  showm  that  the  principle  of  the  separation  of  church  and  state  would 
not  be  violated  thereby. ’’ 

3.  Colorado.  ‘  ‘  We  hould  give  credit  for  courses  of  a  grade  satisfactory 
to  our  faculty.  ’  ’ 

4.  Illinois.  ‘  ‘  I  know  of  no  good  and  sufficient  reason  why  such  credits 
should  not  be  granted.  ’  ^ 

o.  Arizona.  “  I  should  approve  it.  ” 

6.  Montana.  “Yes.’’ 

7.  New  Mexico.  “Yes.’’ 

8.  Wyoming.  “Yes,  we  have  urged  the  churches  to  this  action.’’ 

9.  Utah.  “We  have  allowed  some  credit  toward  entrance  for  Bible  in¬ 
struction.  Just  w'hat  else  might  be  done  by  the  faculty  I  do  not  knorv.  ’  ’ 

10.  South  Dakota.  “I  think  our  faculty  w’ould  favor  such  an  arrange- 
)nent,  properly  safeguarded.  ’  ’ 

11.  Washington.  “We  should  welcome  such  a  cooperative  arrangement 
While  it  is  illegal  for  the  university  to  assume  direction  or  responsibility  for 
such  instruction,  the  faculty  has  always  accepted  credits  for  religious  in¬ 
struction  when  presented  from  denominational  colleges  wliose  other  credits 
were  accejffable.  These  credits  have  largely  been  for  Bible  study  and  were 
accepted  in  lieu  of  an  equivalent  amount  of  our  own  work  in  English  litera¬ 
ture.  If  church  agencies  should  off'er  courses  near  the  university  we  w’ould 
not  anticipate  any  difficulty  in  the  matter  of  adjustment  of  credits.” 

12.  Minnesota.  “In  all  probability  these  courses  would  be  accepted  not 
under  a  general  legislative  provision,  but  would  be  considered  course  by 


25 


course.  The  trainiug  and  scholarship  of  the  instructor,  the  subject  matter 
of  the  course  itself,  and  the  method  of  instruction  would  all  have  to  be  taken 
into  account.  ’  ’ 

ly.  The  following  universities  in  the  judgment  of  our  informant  either 
can  not  do  so,  or  do  not  think  it  desirable  to  grant  credits: 

1.  Georgia.  ‘  ‘  An  effort  Avas  made  several  years  ago  to  introduce  biblical 
subjects  but  objection  was  made  on  denominational  grounds.” 

2.  Nebraska.  '^By  a  ruling  of  our  regents  no  university  credit  in  the 
general  colleges  can  be  given  unless  the  instruction  is  given  by  a  regular  paid 
member  of  the  university  staff.  We  found  that  the  ghdng  of  credits  for 
work  done  under  the  direction  of  pastors  and  others  was  liable  to  be 

abused . I  feel  we  have  already  carried  the  scramble  for  credits  to  such 

an  extent  as  to  degrade  scholarship ;  I  do  not  want  it  to  degrade  religion.  ’  ’ 

3.  Nevada.  ^‘Constitution  prohibits  the  teaching  of  religious  subjects 
in  the  state  university.  ’  ’ 

4.  Cabforuia.  ‘  ‘  The  president  asks  me  to  say  that  he  does  not  think 
credit  could  be  given  for  work  pursued  under  the  auspices  of  church 
agencies.  ’  ^ 

5.  “It  would  not  be  possible  for  the  University  of  Michigan  to  grant 
credit  for  courses  taken  under  agencies  that  form  no  constituent  part  of  the 
university.  ’  ’ 

By  way  of  summary  it  may  be  remarked: 

1.  There  are  five  universities  in  which  there  is  some  sort  of  arrangement 
by  which  biblical  and  religious  instruction  under  the  provision  of  extra- 
oflScial  religious  agencies  is  recognized  by  the  granting  of  credits  toward 
university  degrees. 

2.  There  are  twelve  additional  institutions  that  are  hospitable  to  such 
arrangement  if  proper  plans  can  be  devised,  and  j^roper  safeguards  provided. 

3.  Freshmen  are  quite  generally  excluded  from  the  courses  under  consid¬ 
eration.  The  reasons  for  this  might  well  receive  consideration. 

4.  It  does  not  appear  that  there  is  any  specially  outstanding  objection  to 
the  consummation  of  such  arrangement  Avith  church  agencies.  In  the  five 
cases  in  which  adverse  judgment  is  expressed  different  reasons,  or  no  reasons 
are  assigned. 

5.  Taking  the  total  impression  of  the  data  here  presented,  it  would  seem 
that  there  is  a  decided  preponderance  of  sentiment  in  the  state  universities 
faAmrable  to  the  recognition  or  religious  instruction  by  the  granting  of  uni¬ 
versity  credit  for  courses  pursued  under  the  auspices  of  religious  forces, 
provided  such  instruction  be  of  suitable  grade  and  character  upon  the 
academic  side,  and  provided  a  practical  arrangement  can  be  affected  whereby 
the  universities  can  maintain  a  necessary  oversight  of  the  Avork  so  as  to 
guard  against  abuse. 

Kespectfully  submitted, 

F.  M.  Bennett, 

.1.  L.  French, 

C.  M.  Sharpe, 

Committee. 


26 


A  KEPORT  OF  AN  INVESTIGATION 
ON  THE  PREPARATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  LEADERS 
IN  UNIVERSITIES  AND  COLLEGES 
By  Edwin  D.  Starbuck 

The  State  University  of  Iowa 

The  following  list  of  questions  was  sent  to  about  200  University  and 
College  Presidents: 

1.  What,  if  anything,  is  your  institution  now  doing  to  equip  religious 
leaders  and  specialists, —  departments,  courses,  lectureships,  etc.? 

2.  Higher  institutions  are  now  providing  professional  training  for  doc¬ 
tors,  lawyers,  and  other  professional  men.  Should  they  provide  a  similar 
opportunity  for  religious  workers?  If  not,  what  should  they  do? 

3.  What  class  of  institutions  should  undertake  such  work? 

4.  Would  it,  for  example,  fall  properly  within  the  province  of  State 
Universities?  Why? 

5.  Should  such  training  be  left  entirely  to  theological  seminaries? 
Why? 

6.  What  would  be  necessary  in  the  way  of  instructors  and  equipment 
over  and  above  what  you  now  have  available  to  make  it  successful? 

7.  What  position  should  such  work  occupy  in  the  institution? 

a.  Similar  to  that  of  applied  science,  law^,  and  medicine? 

b.  A  department  of  Liberal  Arts  with  its  head  and  assistants? 

c.  If  leading  to  a  degree,  what  degree  or  degrees? 

d.  As  a  special  course  supplementary  to  other  departments? 

e.  Lectureships? 

f.  A  branch  of  Pedagogy?  Philosophy? 

8.  What  subjects  should  constitute  such  a  course,  if  established? 

9.  What  may  it  utilize  from  other  departments? 

10.  Would  the  ultimate  scope  be  to  equip:  (a)  Ministers?  (b)  Mission¬ 
aries?  (c)  Social  settlement  workers?  (d)  Directors  of  charity  work? 
(e)  Sunday  School  specialists?  (f)  Specialists  for  other  college  positions? 

There  were  one  hundred  and  forty  replies  to  the  inquiry,  all  of  which 
have  been  taken  into  account  in  making  the  report.  Many  replies  were 
hesitant,  and  a  few  people  reported  upon  some  special  feature  peculiar  to 
their  own  institutions.  There  are  ninety-seven  responses  representing 
eighty-nine  institutions  that  went  into  some  detail,  and  we  have  relied 
upon  these  particularly  in  trying  to  present  something  of  a  composite 
picture  of  the  state  of  mind  of  educators  in  regard  to  this  new  and  inter¬ 
esting  situation. 

Only  these  last  with  a  more  or  less  definite  program  in  mind  were  in¬ 
cluded  in  the  twenty-seven.  There  are,  then,  twenty-seven  or  a  possilde 
forty-seven  who  are  doing  something  at  the  jiroblem. 

Numbers  mean  almost  nothing  when  we  say  that  forty-seven  institutions 
have  turned  their  attention  more  or  less  in  this  direction.  One  thing 
stands  out,  however,  with  perfect  clearness,  that  there  is  a  tide  in  the 
minds  of  university  and  college  men  in  the  direction  of  making  the  curri- 


27 


eukmi  useful  for  those  who  are  engaged  professionally  in  religious  work, 
and  that  much  of  this  interest  is  already  crystalizing  itself  in  definite 
plans  for  its  accomplishment.  More  suggestive  even  than  numbers  as 
jiulicating  the  tendency  of  the  times  is  the  fact  that  several  institutions 
are  now  focalizing  their  attention  upon  and  wrestling  with  the  problem. 

Among  the  more  significant  experiments  are  the  following :  Drake 
University  with  Professor  Athearn  as  professor  of  the  Psychology  and 
Pedagogy  of  Eeligion  Avith  a  department  in  which  work  is  required  of 
the  divinity  students  and  which  has  a  full  standing  in  the  Arts  college,  and 
Avith  practice  work,  laboratory  and  museum  facilities  already  developed  to 
ail  extent  that  would  do  credit  to  departments  with  a  considerable  history 
behind  them;  Butler  College,  after  having  at  one  time  restricted  itself  to 
])urely  college  work  has  now  established  a  graduate  department  for  minis¬ 
ters  and  other  religious  workers  with  Dr.  Morro  as  its  dean;  Washburn 
College,  while  passing  over  to  graduate  departments  of  universities  the 
Avork  of  preparing  experts  and  specialists,  has  correlated  the  work  in  Psy¬ 
chology,  History,  Pedagogy,  Eeligioiis  Education,  practice  work,  Bible 
Study,  and  the  like,  and  has  added  to  it  sufficiently  to  prepare  religious 
teachers  and  social  workers  for  their  vocations;  the  University  of  South 
Carolina,  with  a  department  of  Eeligious  Education,  so  far  largely  built 
up  out  of  the  other  departments,  but  already  sending  out  trained  men  as 
religious  and  social  workers  into  factory  towns  and  rural  districts;  North 
Dakota,  Missouri,  and  Texas,  with  affiliated  denominational  colleges,  while 
the  universities  attempt  to  co-operate  by  adapting  their  curriculum  to  sup¬ 
plement  those  of  the  affiliated  seminaries;  this  is  but  a  variation  of  the 
custom  of  some  of  the  older  institutions,  of  friendly  cooperation  between 
endowed  seminaries  and  universities,  as  at  Harvard,  Yale,  Columbia, 
Chicago,  and  a  few  others.  Among  the  other  institutions  facing  this  ques¬ 
tion  seriously  are  Southwestern  University,  Wooster,  Earlham,  Carleton, 
Coe,  Northwestern,  Oberlin,  and  Pennsylvania. 

The  question  was  asked:  Should  higher  institutions  provide  similar 
opportunities  for  religious  workers  as  those  which  are  now  provided  for 
doctors,  lawyers,  and  other  professional  men  I  The  answers  are  overwhelm¬ 
ingly  in  the  affirmative.  They  stand: 

64  Yes,  unqualifiedly  affirmative. 

18  Qualified  answers. 

9  No. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  ten  of  the  qualified  answers  are  inclined  toward  the 
“yes”  ansAA'er,  so  that  there  are  74  as  against  17  who  think  that  if  the 
right  conditions  could  be  found  or  produced  the  higher  institutions  should 
adjust  themseHes  to  this  kind  of  work. 

On  the  question  of  what  institutions  should  undertake  such  work, 

47  say  all  colleges  and  universities 
d  say  all  graduate  colleges 
13  say  endowed  and  private  institutions  primarily 
12  say  denominational  institutions  primarily 
3  say  endowed  and  private  institutions  only 


28 


2  say  state  universities  primarily. 

Would  such  work  fall  properly  within  the  province  of  state  universities? 
This  question  was  propounded  in  order,  if  possible,  to  focalize  more  sharply 
the  judgments  and  to  strike  fire  where  there  was  any  fire  lying  smouldering. 
It  succeeded  in  calling  out  quite  vigorous  responses.  The  answers  stand, 

46  yes 

15  qualified 

25  no. 

President  Hill  of  Missouri  says,  “Yes,  the  state  university  should  aim  to 
develop  the  highest  type  of  citizenship  and  to  train  leaders.  ’ ' 

The  affirmative  answers  are  just  as  emphatic  from  presidents  of  denom¬ 
inational  institutions  as  from  any  others.  President  Thomas  of  Middle- 
bury,  Vermont,  says,  “Yes,  because  they  are  pledged  to  promote  the  wel¬ 
fare  of  the  state,  for  which  religious  leadership  is  essential.” 

The  opinion  of  the  state  university  officers  upon  whether  or  not  their 
own  institutions  should  undertake  the  work  may  be  of  interest.  Of  twenty- 
five  state  institutions  represented, 

16  say  yes 

5  are  qualified 

4  no  (Ohio,  Minnesota,  North  Dakota,  California). 

It  was  formerly  believed  that  the  religious  leader  was  a  preacher,  and 
that  his  preparation  was  to  be  left  to  the  theological  seminaries.  This 
opinion  still  can  be  found,  but  in  college  and  university  circles  has  passed 
almost  completely.  An  instance  so  rare  as  to  deserve  quoting  is  that  of 
the  president  of  one  of  our  highly  specialized  universities  that  attempts 
nothing  which  even  approaches  an  interest  in  religious  problems.  He  says, 
“The  chief  difficulty  is  in  understanding  what  is  meant  by  religious  lead¬ 
ers  and  specialists.  Is  not  a  religious  specialist  a  clergyman?  *  *  *  I 
suppose  religious  specialists  must  go  to  theological  seminaries.”  The  ques¬ 
tion  was  asked,  “Should  such  training  be  left  entirely  to  theological  scju- 
inaries?”  The  questions  are  remarkably  one-sided.  They  stand, 

6  ves 

11  (jualitied 

70  no. 

Not  only  tlie  mnnber  of  “noes’’  is  significant,  ))nt  the  (piality  of  tin- 
replies  is  more  so.  The  explosive  intensity  of  the  responses  of  sober  mind¬ 
ed  educators  as  they  rebel  against  the  suggestion  of  leaving  such  work  to 
theological  seminaries  is  instructive.  “Never!  Never!”  exclaims  one. 
“They  are  back  numbers,”  says  another.  Another  observes,  “They  are  a 
generation  behind  their  time.”  Still  another  remarks,  “Many  who  could 
be  trained  for  effective  service  will  not  enter  them,  and  inany  seminaries 
are  too  narrow.  ’  ’ 

The  reaction  against  the  old  line  seminaries,  biased  as  it  probably  is, 
and  innocent  of  the  awakening  that  is  coming  about  in  them,  is  indicative 
of  a  tremendous  change  in  the  educational  world  in  regard  to  what  religion 
is  and  what  the  religious  worker  should  be,  and  the  function  of  religion 
in  the  scheme  of  things. 


29 


It  is  the  opinion  of  most  of  the  respondents  who  have  expressed  them¬ 
selves  upon  the  point  that  the  task  of  meeting  the  questions  at  issue  in  this 
report  is  simpler  than  might  be  supposed.  To  the  question  ^‘What  would 
be  necessary  in  the  way  of  instructors  and  equipment  over  and  above  what 
you  have  available  to  make  it  successful,  ’  ’  sixteen  believe  that  almost 
nothing  need  be  added.  There  are  thirty  institutions  which  say  that  one 
professor,  or  two,  or  at  most  three,  (usually  one)  would  be  sufficient.  Mis¬ 
souri  says,  ‘  ‘  One  able  professor  will  suffice  with  our  present  arrangement 
with  the  Bible  College.’’  Yale  writes,  “We  already  have  the  needed  in¬ 
structors  with  the  exception  of  a  man  to  devote  his  entire  time  to  religious 
psychology  and  education.”  Middlebury  says,  “We  could  do  much  with 
one  man  at  $2500.”  Clearly  there  exists  already  many  of  the  courses  that 
would  form  the  proper  foundation  for  such  work,  and  the  problem  is,  first, 
the  co-ordination  and  organization  of  those  courses  already  found  in  the 
curriculum,  and  then  the  providing  of  a  few  other  courses  entirely  funda¬ 
mental  to  the  work  of  religious  leadership,  as  a  center  or  nucleus  around 
which  the  others  can  be  grouped. 

Questions  eight  and  nine  were  asked  in  order  to  learn  what  educators 
^vould  regard  as  the  nucleus  and  what  the  fringe,  so  to  speak,  of  such  a 
course.  Question  eight  asks,  “What  subjects  should  constitute  such  a 
course  if  established?”  and  question  nine,  “What  may  it  utilize  from 
other  departments?”  The  replies  of  both  questions  were  tabulated  sep¬ 
arately,  but  the  results  were  so  similar  that  the  presentation  following  rep¬ 
resents  the  fused  replies  to  both  questions.  In  all  there  are  62  kinds  of 
things  suggested,  all  the  way  from  Bible  study  to  Biology,  Anthropology, 
and  Archaeology.  An  attempt  to  group  them  under  several  main  headings 
gave  the  following  table,  in  which  the  numbers  stand  for  the  number  of 
votes  received  for  each  kind  of  study: 

Study  of  Eeligions  61  (Comparative  E.  19,  Hist,  of  E.  13,  Phil,  and  Psy. 

of  E.  15,  etc.) 

58  (Including  Ethics  21,  metaphysics,  etc.) 

56  (B.  as  literature,  Biblical  Introd.,  Old  and  New  Test.) 
49  (Including  negro  life,  social  service,  civics,  etc.) 

44  (Pedagogy  23,  Eelig.  Educ.  16,  Methods  of  Bib. 
Teaching,  etc.) 

42  (Including  church  Hist.,  Hebrew  Hist.,  Life  of 
Christ,  etc.) 

29  (If  united  with  Philosophy  would  be  first  in  the  list.) 
25  (If  united  with  Sociology  would  be  second  in  the  list.) 
18  (Including  Social  Settlements  and  “Philanthropy.”) 
14  (In  Sunday  Schools  and  Settlements  under  skilled 
direction.) 

9  (In  a  wide  sense  to  include  the  Humanities.) 

9  (Christian  evidences,  apologetics,  applied  Christian¬ 
ity,  etc.) 

8  (Usually  New  Testament  Greek.) 

7  (Including  Homiletics.) 


Philosophy 
Bible  Study 
Sociology 
Pedagogy 

History 

Psychology 
Economics 
Missions 
Pi  eld  Work 

Literature 

Christianity 


C  reek 

Public  Speaking 


30 


Hygiene  7  (Including  sanitation.) 

Hebrew  5 

Others  9  (Including  Biology,  Archaeology,  Anthropology,  etc.) 

Perhaps  it  indicates  the  richness  and  diversity  of  religion  that  almost 
any  study  seems  to  be  an  open  door  into  it.  President  Evans  of  Eipon 
says,  ^^All  subjects  should  be  utilized  and  religion  should  be  taught  as  an 
essential  of  life  and  culture.  ’  ’  Something  like  these  opinions  were  ex¬ 
pressed  by  nineteen  persons. 

There  is  here  an  unmistakable  evidence  of  a  shift  of  attitude  as  to  the 
nature  of  religion  and  its  leaders.  The  curriculum  proposed  has  little  Greek 
and  less  Hebrew.  There  is  not  much  use  for  theology,  and  almost  none  for 
Christian  evidences  and  apologetics  which  our  forefathers  regarded  as  an 
essential.  Hebrew,  which  was  one  of  the  standard  courses  for  the  preacher 
of  an  earlier  time,  has  fewer  votes  now  than  personal  hygiene  and  sanita¬ 
tion.  The  religious  leader  has  his  interest  centered  not  in  an  old  order  nor 
in  an  abstract  heaven  primarily,  but  in  a  present,  progressive,  human  world. 
The  religious  leader  is  a  skilled  teacher,  a  lover  of  truth,  a  friend  and  helper 
of  man  in  a  divinely  human  world. 

It  is  going  to  be  an  important  and  difficult  matter  to  know  just  what 
place  such  work  is  to  find  in  the  organized  life  of  our  higher  institutions. 
To  question  seven,  asking  for  an  opinion  of  what  place  it  should  occupy, 
there  is  a  diversity  of  sentiment,  but  likewise  a  considerable  unanimity. 
There  are  5  who  believe  that  it  should  have  a  special  college  like  that  of 
law  or  medicine.  Sixteen  others  believe  it  should  constitute  a  school  in  the 
college  or  university,  similar  to  schools  of  pedagogy,  and  political  science. 
The  largest  number,  40  in  all,  regard  it  properly  as  one  of  the  regularly 
constituted  departments  in  the  college  of  arts  and  sciences.  Twenty  of 
these  believe  that  it  should  lead  to  the  regular  A.  B.  degree,  while  three 
are  doubtful  upon  this  latter  point;  five  think  that  it  should  not  in  itself 
lead  to  a  degree.  There  are  18  persons  who  would  have  it  constitute  a 
regular  part  of  the  curriculum,  but  would  make  it  as  a  special  course  or  a 
special  set  of  courses  while  not  raising  it  to  the  dignity  of  a  department. 

Several  persons  would  make  this  work  a  special  branch  of  some  other 
department  already  existing  in  the  college  and  university.  There  are  four 
departments  equally  suited  to  foster  it,  if  one  may  judge  by  the  experi¬ 
ments  already  being  tried  and  by  projected  plans;  namely.  Sociology,  Peda¬ 
gogy,  Philosophy  and  Psychology,  and  Biblical  Literature.  Each  of  these 
departments  has  its  enthusiasts  who  regard  the  preparation  of  religious 
leaders  as  a  branch  of  its  own  work. 

There  is  a  growing  sentiment  in  favor  of  the  affiliated  theological  school 
in  connection  with  the  university.  No  fewer  than  ten  persons  in  addition 
to  those  connected  with  institutions  of  this  character  advocate  such  a  plan. 
There  is  no  instance  in  our  records  of  any  one  who  does  not  speak  with 
approval  of  the  plan,  unless  it  should  be  by  implication  on  the  part  of 
those  who  object  to  theological  schools  altogether  and  those  who  are  of  the 
opinion  that  all  such  work  can  only  properly  be  done  in  a  college  or  uni¬ 
versity  atmosphere  or  in  an  institution  in  which  the  entire  curriculum  is 


31 


specialized.  It  should  be  noted  that  in  every  instance  so  far  those  who 
are  engaged  in  the  trying  out  of  the  experiment  of  the  affiliated  seminaries 
are  satisfied  with  the  results  up  to  date.  We  are  informed  that  plans  are 
under  way  at  Wisconsin  and  Michigan  to  establish  seminaries  of  this  kind. 
For  the  present  years,  the  affiliated  seminary  would  be  a  necessary  and 
desirable  way  of  meeting  the  demand  for  trained  leaders.  Denominational- 
ism  is  still  very  strong,  and  the  sects  will  prefer  leaders  brought  up  in  the 
atmosphere,  if  not  also  in  the  tenets,  of  their  own  faith.  Ultimately,  when 
theological  distinctions  are  softened  and  denominational  differences  are  less 
vital,  it  is  possible  that  the  entire  program  may  best  be  assumed  by  the 
institutions  themselves,  even  the  state  universities.  There  is  a  goodly  number 
of  respondents  who  believe  that  even  now  w^e  hav  attained  to  such  a  status. 


UNIVERSITY  CREDITS  FOR  STUDY  IN  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 
By  a.  Ross  Hill,  President  University  op  Missouri 

I  can  claim  no  special  knowledge  of  the  subject  matter  of  religious 
education  nor  any  right  to  speak  for  university  teachers  and  officers 
regarding  what  may  legitimately  count  toward  the  fulfillment  of  require¬ 
ments  for  standard  university  degrees.  I  can  only  express  briefly  my 
personal  conception  of  what  elements  seem  to  enter  into  the  somewhat 
vague  standards  set  up  in  the  minds  of  university  teachers  touching  the 
purposes  sought  to  be  realized  by  university  instruction,  and  in  the  light 
of  these  attempt  to  pass  a  tentative  judgment  upon  the  claims  to  recog¬ 
nition  of  certain  phases  of  subject  matter  usually  classed  under  the  head 
of  ‘‘religious  education.’^ 

I  shall  deal  first  with  the  question  of  credit  toward  the  degree  of 
bachelor  of  arts,  for  I  have  found  that  most  people  think  a  subject  is 
somewhat  discriminated  against  which  does  not  count  toward  that  degree. 
One  purpose  which  academic  study  is  supposed  to  realize  is  the  develop¬ 
ment  of  insight.  That  training  which  produces  certain  well  defined  forms 
of  efficiency  in  manual  dexterity  but  which  does  not  give  insight  into  man, 
humanity,  or  the  laws  of  nature  is  not  judged  to  be  appropriate  subject 
matter  for  the  study  of  candidates  for  the  A.  B.  degree.  This  point  of 
view^  seems  to  be  at  least  as  old  as  the  Protestant  Church  or  the  college 
of  liberal  arts  of  a  university.  This  insight  may  be  interpreteed  as  en¬ 
lightenment,  an  ability  to  share  in  the  wmrld’s  best  inheritance  in  the 
great  realms  of  human  thinking,  a  social  orientation  w’hich  reveals  to  the 
individual  his  relations  to  other  persons  and  forces.  One  possessed  of 
this  insight  has  come  out  of  his  provincial  intellectual  habits  and  know’s 
something  of  what  the  world  at  large  is  thinking  and  doing  and  what 
the  impulses  are  that  are  moving  it.  The  Arts  course  is  supposed  to  give 
students  a  view^  of  the  stage  as  a  whole  and  of  the  plot  of  the  drama  of 
life  before  they  take  up  their  several  parts  in  the  play. 

For  a  long  time  the  chief  educational  instrument  for  the  realization 
of  this  aim  w’as  thought  to  be  the  classical  literatures  of  Greece  and  Rome. 


32 


Why!  Because  they  were  the  ark  in  which  was  preserved  so  much  of  the 
higher  life  of  the  race,  because  they  were  supposed  to  give  the  individual 
student  a  fuller  membership  in  the  life  of  mankind.  The  classics  have 
ceased  to  hold  the  place  they  once  did  on  account  of  the  rise  of  modern 
humanities,  such  as  history,  sociology,  political  science,  etc.,  wdiich,  how¬ 
ever  deficient  they  may  be  in  form  and  disciplinary  quality,  do  really  aim 
to  explore  human  life  and  to  reveal  to  the  student  his  social  world,  to 
broaden  his  sympathies,  and  to  quicken  and  give  direction  to  his  highest 
human  impulses. 

Now  an  examination  of  the  courses  usually  offered  in  the  study  of  re¬ 
ligion, —  in  Hebrew,  New  Testament  Greek,  Church  History,  Christian 
Ethics,  and  the  English  Bible, —  for  which  academic  credit  is  likely  to  be 
requested,  will  reveal  that  in  subject  matter  they  are  naturally  adapted  to 
the  development  of  that  human  and  social  insight  which  has  always  been 
one  of  the  chief  aims  of  academic  instruction.  To  know  oneself  or  to 
know  mankind  is  to  realize,  among  other  things,  the  fundamental  nature 
of  the  religious  phase  of  human  experience,  and  the  significance  of  re¬ 
ligion  and  religious  institutions  as  both  intrinsic  and  extrinsic  factors  in 
the  development  of  human  civilization.  To  lack  this  is  to  fall  short  of 
a  true  perspective  or  point  of  view  from  which  to  criticise  life  and  life  *s 
values.  It  is  to  fall  short  of  true  culture. 

I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  this  insight  can  be  secured  only  by  a  study 
of  these  subjects,  for  in  psychology,  sociology,  ethics  and  other  standard 
academic  subjects,  this  outcome  is  constantly  realized  through  the  broad 
and  inspiring  presentation  of  them  that  characterizes  many  class  rooms ; 
but  the  more  direct  approach  to  the  religious  phase  of  man’s  life  that 
is  furnished  by  the  subjects  mentioned  above  give  them  an  advantage  for 
this  purpose  when  they  are  treated  by  experts  of  equal  ability  and  training 
with  those  who  teach  academic  courses  in  good  universities. 

This  suggests  to  me  the  basis  of  the  real  objection  that  academic  facul¬ 
ties  have  to  the  recognition  of  courses  meant  to  serve  the  direct  purpose 
of  religious  education.  So  long  as  there  is  any  tendency  to  confuse 
religion  with  dogmatic  theology,  courses  bearing  that  label  have  slight 
chance  for  recognition  in  academic  circles.  The  spirit  of  university  in¬ 
struction  is  and  ought  to  be  positively  antagonistic  to  dogmatism  in  any 
form,  and  until  religious  doctrines  and  literature  and  church  history  can 
be  studied  in  the  same  spirit  of  discovery  that  now  characterizes  courses 
in  American  history,  to  instance  a  field  recently  rescued  from  prejudice 
and  hyphocrisy,  no  just  claim  to  university  credit  can  be  established.  For¬ 
tunately  creedal  religion  is  decaying,  and  spiritual,  vital  religion  is 
advancing;  and  the  number  of  men  qualified  to  teach  university  students 
religious  literature  and  history  and  the  vital  truths  of  religion  is  increas¬ 
ing,  so  that  the  prospects  are  favorable  for  the  rapid  approach  of  the 
time  when  universities  can  afford  to  accept  credit  for  such  courses  as 
were  mentioned  above  from  reputable  Bible  Colleges  or  to  offer  such 
courses  in  their  own  programmes,  where  it  is  otherwise  feasible  to  do  so. 
In  short,  the  question  of  accepting  credits  from  a  Bible  College  should 


33 


depend  upon  whether  the  professors  in  that  College  are  qualified  to  take 
chairs  in  the  university  itself,  if  the  policy  of  offering  courses  in  religious 
education  in  the  university  were  practicable. 

But  the  aim  of  college  education  is  not  only  insight;  it  is  also  appre¬ 
ciation.  A  university  should  aim  to  bring  its  students  to  an  appreciation 
of  the  great  values  of  life,  and  to  this  end  the  work  of  a  university  should 
be  carried  on  in  an  atmosphere  permeated  with  ethical  and  aesthetic  ideals. 
Students  in  all  departments  and  especially  in  the  College  of  Arts,  which 
is  supposed  to  develop  the  man  of  culture,  should  be  in  touch  with  the 
best  in  the  realm  of  literature  and  art.  Now  whether  one  considers  the 
sublime  simplicity  of  its  creation  story,  the  marvelous  sweetness  of  its 
religious  lyrics,  or  the  majestic  sweep  of  its  prophetic  eloquence,  the 
English  Bible  furnishes  literature  that  is  unsurpassed.  No  better  edu¬ 
cational  material  can  be  found  within  the  whole  range  of  humanistic 
studies.  Some  time  we  shall  realize  that  in  every  college  of  liberal  arts, 
aiming  at  the  development  of  the  man  of  culture,  religious  literature  and 
history  and  the  fine  arts  should  have  equal  recognition  with  foreign  lan¬ 
guages,  political  and  social  science,  history,  and  the  natural  sciences. 

Another  conception  that  enters  into  the  question  of  granting  academic 
credit  to  courses  of  university  grade  relates  to  the  fundamental  character 
of  such  courses.  From  this  point  of  view  human  anatomy  and  physiology 
are  allowed  credit,  but  surgery  and  materia  medica  are  not;  botany  is 
accepted  but  horticulture  is  not;  political  science  and  public  law  fall 
within  the  academic  curriculum  but  those  courses  in  law  that  aim  at  the 
direct  training  of  a  student  for  efficiency  in  the  practice  of  law  are  allowed 
credit  only  in  the  School  of  Law  itself.  Now  what  about  the  customary 
courses  in  religious  education?  That  depends  chiefly  on  the  spirit  and 
method  in  which  they  are  taught.  Is  their  aim  to  give  fundamental  in¬ 
sight  and  appreciation  such  as  every  man  of  culture  should  possess,  or  is 
it  their  purpose  to  train  young  men  for  specific  duties  in  the  profession 
of  the  ministry?  Where  the  courses  are  taught  in  a  theological  school, 
university  professors  are  likely  to  regard  them  as  professional  in  character; 
and  no  matter  how  friendly  the  university  may  be  toward  religious  edu¬ 
cation  the  faculty  may  find  some  difficulty  in  according  recognition,  if  it 
has  no  school  of  theology  and  no  degree  in  theology  within  which  or 
toward  which  the  credit  can  be  counted.  This  is  not  discrimination  against 
such  courses  but  it  is  consistent  with  the  practice  of  limiting  the  amount 
of  credit  allowed  toward  the  A.  B.  degree  for  any  form  of  professional 
study. 

In  the  state  universities  which  can  at  present  have  no  schools  of  the¬ 
ology  or  bible  schools,  the  question  of  university  credit  for  courses  in  re¬ 
ligious  education  must  turn  on  the  recognition  of  such  courses  toward  the 
A.  B.  degree;  and  even  where  they  are  taught  in  accordance  with  uni¬ 
versity  standards  and  methods  the  logic  of  the  situation  would  seem  to 
require  the  placing  on  them  of  the  same  restrictions  that  prevail  in  the 
acceptance  for  academic  credit  of  courses  in  law,  journalism,  etc.  In  the 
University  of  Missouri  we  allow  credit  toward  the  degree  of  bachelor  of 


34 


arts  in  Hebrew,  English  Bible  and  other  courses  taught  in  the  Bible 
College  of  Columbia,  but  we  restrict  the  total  amount  of  credit  that  any 
individual  student  may  offer  from  the  Bible  College  toward  the  A.  B. 
degree  just  as  we  do  in  the  cases  of  credits  secured  in  the  professional 
schools  of  the  University  itself.  Any  bible  college  or  theological  school 
doing  as  high  a  grade  of  work  as  that  done  in  the  Bible  College  of 
Columbia,  is  given  the  same  consideration.  While  our  arrangement  may 
not  be  ideal  I  believe  it  is  working  very  well  and  the  relationship  between 
the  Bible  College  and  the  University  of  Missouri  is  helpful  to  the  students- 
of  the  University. 


VOLUNTARY  BIBLE  COURSES 
The  Place,  The  Time,  The  Sort  of  Teaching,  The  Teacher 

Discussion  Led  by  Richard  Henry  Edwards, 
Congregational  University  Pastor,  Madison,  Wis. 

Let  us  not  delay  on  the  matter  of  place.  The  local  church  perhaps  is 
best,  but  any  other  place  where  the  group  can  be  held  in  pleasant  sur¬ 
roundings  will  suffice. 

The  time  ought  also  to  be  settled  largely  by  the  convenience  of  the 
members  of  the  group.  Just  after  supper  on  week  day  evenings,  at  6:45; 
or  on  Sunday  mornings  before  or  after  church  are  good  times. 

The  fundamental  questions  at  stake  in  this  discussion  are  the  sort  of 
teaching  and  the  teacher.  Let  us  return  at  once  to  the  matter  of  credits 
to  make  clear  our  various  points  of  view.  Credits  for  courses  in  religion 
have  been  variously  stressed  in  this  conference  by  one  who  is  building  a 
college  of  religion,  by  another  who  is  mapping  out  a  scientific  curriculuni 
on  religion,  and  by  another  who  devotes  himself  wholly  to  pastoral  rela¬ 
tions  with  students.  Obviously  our  view  points  vary  widely.  As  a  uni¬ 
versity  pastor  I  believe  it  is  easy  to  over  emphasize  the  importance  of 
securing  academic  credits  for  voluntary  courses.  Some  men  feel  that  if 
a  religious  course  can  only  be  standardized  and  labeled  as  being  in 
some  way  up  to  grade,  that  the  problem  of  religious  study  is  thereby 
solved.  That  depends  wholly  on  what  one  is  trying  to  do  in  his  courses. 
If  he  is  attempting  to  teach  the  historical  facts  or  the  literary  setting, 
or  the  psychological  process  of  religion, —  if  his  purpose  is  primarily  his¬ 
torical  or  literary  or  scientific, —  then  the  standardization  of  the  course 
and  the  granting  of  academic  credits  is  a  highly  desirable  thing.  Such 
academic  work  is  certainly  of  the  greatest  importance  and  belongs  in  every 
university  curriculum.  No  one  would  question  that.  But  if  on  the  other 
hand  the  university  pastor  is  attempting  to  communicate  the  very  content 
and  spirit  of  the  message  of  Jesus,  to  make  the  truth  of  that  message 
meaningful  in  the  personal  life  of  his  students,  and  to  apply  it  to  the 
social  life  of  his  time, —  if  his  purpose  is  primarily  religious, —  then  the 
standardization  of  his  courses  may  or  may  not  be  of  value.  At  any  rate 
it  is  a  secondary  question.  The  more  I  work  along  on  these  courses,  the 


35 


more  I  wonder  if  the  real  religious  message  would  not  by  some  subtle 
process  evaporate  if  credits  were  secured.  Do  the  churches  really  want 
the  university  pastor  to  do  an  academic  piece  of  Tvork  or  an  out  and  out 
religious  work?  Of  course  the  same  man  may  do  both  things  and  that 
might  be  highly  desirable,  some  of  his  courses  being  credited  and  some 
not,  but  I  confess  the  conviction  that  our  work  as  university  pastors  is 
meant  to  eventuate  in  an  emphasis  on  character  more  than  in  an  emphasis 
on  knowledge.  Our  work  is  out  and  out  religious  work  and  it  is  no  ficti¬ 
tious  distinction  which  I  am  drawing.  The  real  task  the  university  pastor 
essays  is  the  fundamental  leading  out  of  the  moral  personality  of  his 
students,  the  quickening  of  their  best  aspirations,  the  clinching  of  their 
best  purposes,  the  firm  setting  of  their  wills  to  serve  their  generation  in  the 
spirit  of  Jesus.  This  is  a  very  different  matter  from  teaching  the  facts 
of  Hebrew  History,  highly  important  as  that  may  be  and  much  as  it  may 
incidentally  contribute  to  vital  religious  education.  There  is  a  real  dif¬ 
ference  between  the  two  sorts  of  teaching  and  points  of  emphasis.  A 
university  professor  indicated  this  to  me  a  few  days  ago  when  he  regret¬ 
fully  declined  to  give  a  course  in  Bible  Study  next  year  for,  as  he  said, 
^This  vital  teaching  takes  so  much  more  out  of  me  and  is  so  much  harder 
than  my  regular  teaching  that  I  can’t  carry  it.”  His  finger  was  on  the 
spot.  We  don ’t  w^ant  these  courses  to  be  easy.  They  must  ‘  ‘  take  more 
out  of”  the  men  who  give  them  than  other  teaching.  They  must  have  the 
most  skillful  and  expert  teaching  which  the  student  can  find  in  any  line 
of  work.  No  other  subject  has  a  right  to  more  superb  teaching  than  the 
subject  of  religion  and  most  other  subjects  do  not  require  as  vital  teaching. 

In  the  actual  history  of  college  Bible  work  we  should  recognize  to  the 
full  the  good  done  by  the  Christian  Associations  in  groups  led  by  students. 
Much  fundamental  religious  work  has  often  been  done  despite  the  inade¬ 
quate  preparation  of  the  student  leader.  We  are  deeply  grateful  for 
what  has  been  accomplished  in  these  groups,  and  they  have  their  place, 
but  we  see  clearly  the  need,  also,  of  more  maturity  and  finer  intellectual 
wnrk  in  their  leadership.  Their  weakness  has  usually  been  the  weakness 
of  zeal  without  knowledge.  Let  us  not  now  set  over  against  their  w^eak- 
ness  another  weakness  and  react  to  academic  courses  which  may  provide 
knowledge  but  communicate  no  zeal.  I  believe  that  this  may  very  easily 
happen.  Only  the  most  superb  teaching  can  communicate  both  knowledge 
and  zeal  in  the  highest  measure. 

The  teacher  who  can  do  this  sort  of  teaching  is  in  reality  a  rare  person. 
Though  he  serve  the  church  he  must  not  be  an  ecclesiastic.  Though  he 
keep  company  wdth  faculty  men  he  must  not  be  academic  nor  must  his 
Ph.  D.  degree,  if  he  has  one,  bob  up  and  hit  the  boys  in  the  face  every 
time  he  teaches  them.  He  must  be  as  genuinely  an  inspirational  force  as 
if  he  were  a  preacher,  but  not  by  means  of  exhortation. 

I  am  glad  the  state  is  not  trying  to  teach  religion.  It  is  not  its 
function.  It  would  not  do  it  well.  I  disagree  with  the  gentleman  who 
says  he  does  not  expect  to  see  religious  development  succeed  unless  the 
faculty  become  responsible  for  it.  Much  as  the  faculty  has  to  do  in 


36 


this  regard,  I  would  not  expect  to  see  religious  development  succeed  if 
the  faculty  were  responsible  for  it.  If  we  are  not  to  have  specialists  for 
vital  religious  teaching  then  we  surely  do  not  need  them  for  swamp 
drainage  or  poetry.  We  must  all  scale  this  w^ork  higher —  it  belongs  at 
the  very  top.  There  is  a  w'onderful  career  of  service  in  it.  The  teacher 
of  religion  in  a  state  university  community  has  an  almost  unique  calling. 
Personal  relationships  must  always  be  to  him  a  more  absorbing  interest 
than  the  classification  of  any  body  of  facts,  and  this  man’s  knowledge 
must  glow  as  he  communicates  it  or  he  cannot  make  the  human  spirit 
kindle  at  his  touch.  There  must  be  in  his  teaching  always  the  luminous 
quality  of  that  inner  light  which  lighteth  every  man  coming  into  the 
world. 

KELATION  OF  THE  UNIVEESITY  STUDENT  TO  HIS  CHUECH 

L  His  Church  at  Home.  II.  His  Church  at  the  University  Center — ■ 

a.  Church  Membership,  b.  Church  Activity,  c.  Financial  Obligation. 

Discussion  Led  by  The  Eev.  James  C.  Baker, 

Pastor  Trinity  M.  E.  Church,  Urbana,  Ills. 

In  opening  the  discussion  of  this  topic  I  shall  reverse  the  order  in  which 
its  divisions  are  stated,  inasmuch  as  the  relation  of  the  student  to  the 
church  at  home  will  be  in  large  part  indicated  by  the  conclusions  regarding 
his  relation  to  the  church  at  the  University  center. 

I.  Let  us  note,  first,  that  there  are  three  types  of  churches  at  State 
University  centers. 

a.  In  most  places  the  church  is  essentially  a  city  organization  with  a 
permanent  membership,  in  which  the  students  play  only  an  incidental  part 
in  the  activities.  This  type  of  church,  generally  speaking,  has  been  woefully 
blind  to  its  opportunities.  I  have  letters  in  my  possession  from  pastors 
on  such  fields  indicating  that  everything  else  in  the  church  life  is  being 
cared  for  save  the  interests  of  the  student  constituency.  The  students  may 
come  and  go,  if  they  please,  and  get  needed  help,  if  they  can.  But  there 
is  no  appreciation  of  the  fact  that  the  prime  responsibility  of  churches 
set  in  the  midst  of  the  student  population  is  to  capture  and  direct  and 
sympathetically  serve  these  leaders  of  tomorrow. 

Sporadically  this  problem  is  now'  being  studied  and  various  measures 
have  been  taken,  some  of  which  have  been  described  in  this  conference  and 
other  conferences  preceding.  But  for  years  the  church  has  poured  its  chil¬ 
dren  into  state  and  church  schools  and  that  magnificent  stream  of  life  has 
flowed  through  these  institutions  and  been  lost  to  the  Church  in  deplorable 
numbers,  because  the  Church  has  never  realized  that  its  finest  asset  was 
worth  any  and  all  efi’ort  to  save  for  its  own  life. 

b.  In  some  places  there  is  located  near  the  University  a  church  which 
to  all  intents  and  purposes  is  a  University  church.  Here  the  student  is 
more  than  an  incident.  He  is  looked  after  and  membership  has  a  real 


significance.  He  assumes  responsibilities  in  the  church,  enters  into  its 
varied  activities,  and  is  a  substantial  factor  in  all  its  undertakings.  The 
purest  example  of  this  type  of  church  of  which  I  have  knowledge  is  the 
one  I  am  privileged  to  be  pastor  of  in  Urbana. 

Let  me  describe  it  a  little  in  detail.  It  is  a  normal,  everyday  working 
community  church.  We  have  townspeople  and  faculty  people  in  its  mem¬ 
bership,  as  well  as  students.  But  the  townspeople  are  entirely  sympathetic 
with  the  University  problem.  For  those  who  are  not  so  sympathetic,  there 
is  a  downtown  church  on  either  side  of  us  a  mile  away — an  Urbana  center 
and  Champaign  center — and  we  urge  them  to  transfer  their  membership 
thither  speedily  if  they  have  gotten  in  with  us  by  mistake. 

This  is  better  than  to  have  a  so-called  “University  Church,”  consisting 
of  students  only.  The  latter  plan  forms  a  sort  of  “Class”  church  which 
is  rather  unfortunate.  It  brings  together  a  group  of  men  of  somewhat 
similar  tastes  and  leaves  them  out  of  touch  with  ordinary,  everyday  men 
and  women  and  their  practical  life.  They  are  out  of  touch,  also,  with 
homes  and  children  in  Sunday  School,  and  so  forth.  The  University  church, 
of  course,  provides  unusually  congenial  surroundings  for  the  student  in 
his  college  days;  but  it  will  put  him  out  of  touch  with  the  sort  of  people 
he  will  meet  in  the  average  church  when  he  returns  home  or  in  the  new 
community  in  which  he  may  live.  The  adjustment  is  quite  diflicult.  It  is 
exactly  the  same  problem  met  in  the  case  of  the  student  doing  all  of  his 
religious  work  in  the  Christian  Association.  Again  and  again,  students 
greatly  interested  at  college  in  religious  work  of  the  purely  “student” 
kind  find  themselves  (when  out  of  the  University  community)  so  out  of 
sympathy  with  the  ordinary  form  of  church  life  and  activity  that  they 
cannot  adjust  themselves.  It  would  have  been  much  better  if  they  had 
had  part  in  the  carrying  on  of  the  ordinary  church  in  the  usual  way. 

e.  I  have  just  described  in  part  the  third  type  of  church — the  “Uni¬ 
versity  Church,  ’  ’  made  up  entirely  of  students — and  then  only  with  a 
sort  of  “leave  of  absence”  membership.  They  are  af&liated  with  a  church 
which  has  no  parallel  beyond  the  University  community.  The  only  example 
of  this  type  I  know  of  is  the  McKinley  Memorial  Presbyterian  Church  at 
the  University  of  Illinois.  It  has  not  yet  been  put  fully  to  the  trial.  We 
will  all  observe  its  workings  with  deepest  interest.  I  am  simply  stating 
my  reasons  for  thinking  that  it  is  not  the  ideal  type  of  church,  the  prime 
one  of  which  is  that  it  is  a  “  class  ’  ’  church. 

We  have  approximations  to  it  in  various  college  churches  like  that  at 
Yale.  “Here  the  student  who  brings  his  letter  deposits  it  in  the  college 
church.  He  is  thereby  absolutely  detached  from  his  home  church.  What 
responsibility  he  maintains  is  altogether  with  the  college  church.  Here 
no  financial  responsibility  for  pastoral  oversight  or  pulpit  ministry  is  as¬ 
sumed.  These  are  supported  by  the  college.  Nor  has  he  any  choice  as 
to  who  shall  be  the  preacher  or  pastor.  These  are  provided  without  con¬ 
sulting  him.  However,  each  class  is  represented  by  its  deacons.  Each 
graduating  class  furnishes  from  its  ranks  two  religious  leaders  for  the 
coming  year.  These  are  supported  by  college  funds.  The  students  are 


38 


financially  interested  in  local,  domestic  and  foreign  benevolences.’’  (Letter 
from  pastor  in  New  Haven.) 

II.  In  the  very  brief  time  at  my  disposal  since  the  assignment  of  my 
topic  I  have  tried  to  get  the  judgment  of  as  many  pastors  and  college 
presidents  as  possible  on  the  question  of  church  membership  while  in  the 
university.  I  have  tried  to  classify  the  objections  to  the  actual  transfer 
of  membership. 

a.  Town  pastors  are  unwilling  to  lose  members — decreasing  the  roll 
and  losing  such  financial  support  as  these  members  would  bring.  This 
is  terribly  unworthy  of  Christian  ministers,  and  is  found  not  only  in  regard 
to  students  but  in  the  case  of  families  leaving  for  a  new  community.  I 
have  known  families  to  be  lost  entirely  to  the  church  because  of  the  short¬ 
sighted  policy  of  pastors  in  trying  to  hold  them  in  the  old  home  church. 

b.  A  second  objection  is  that  the  church  in  the  University  community 
does  not  care  properly  for  the  students  committed  to  it.  A  transfer  of 
membership  from  the  home  church  in  such  a  case,  means  too  often  a  sep¬ 
aration  from  the  home  church  and  no  definite  connection  with  the  church 
in  the  University  town.  This  leaves  the  student  during  his  college  days 
practically  homeless,  so  far  as  his  church  relation  is  concerned.  And 

when  the  college  days  are  ended,  the  condition  is  far  more  serious,  for 
this  indifferent  church  does  not  attempt  to  follow  the  student  and  see  that 
he  is  tied  definitely  to  the  church  in  his  old  town  or  in  the  city  or  wher¬ 
ever  he  may  go.  I  was  perfectly  amazed  to  have  a  letter  from  a  pastor 
at  one  of  our  great  State  University  centers  containing  these  words:  ‘^My 
only  objection  to  students  disconnecting  at  home  is  their  frequently  leaving 
their  church  letter  when  graduating  and  the  University  church  being  unable 
to  locate  them  later.  I  have  dropped  over  two  hundred  names  in  two  years, 
largely  student  names  which  have  been  carried  and  long  gone  no  one 
knowing  where  they  are.  *  *  *  j  trying  the  affiliated  membership 
but  unable  to  Avork  it  well  with  other  duties.  ’  ’ 

Now  this  is  what  usually  happens  in  churches  of  the  first  type  described. 
No  one  can  question  the  seriousness  of  it — but  the  remedy  is  not  in  leaving 
the  letter  at  home.  As  well  urge  that  because  the  same  thing  happens 
over  and  over  with  families  moving  into  small  and  large  cities  it  is  better  to 
leave  the  letters  of  those  families  in  the  village  church.  The  remedy 
is  the  pastor  doing  his  duty,  Avith  Avhatever  help  is  needed. 

III.  Noav  I  think  we  are  all  agreed  that  it  is  of  most  vital  moment  that 
the  student  is  to  be  brought  into,  and  kept  in,  as  close  touch  as  possible  Avitli 
the  church  in  his  University  days.  All  our  Avork — in  church  houses,  Guilds, 
Associations,  and  so  forth — heads  up  here,  and  justifies  itself  hero  finan¬ 
cially. 

a.  In  connection  Avith  the  church  the  religious  and  moral  education 
essential  to  the  maturing  life  can  best  be  giA’cn.  Because  of  our  funda¬ 
mental  American  belief  that  church  and  state  should  be  sej)arate,  the 
state  cannot  be  responsible  for  this  AVork.  If  the  state  should  undertake 
the  responsibility  we  would  soon  be  invoh^ed  in  endless  difi’iculties.  Yet 
the  work  must  be  done  and  can  best  be  done  through  the  church  organiza¬ 
tion  familiar  to  the  student  from  childhood. 

39 


b.  Again,  there  is  no  time  in  the  history  of  young  men  and  women 
Avhen  they  need  guidance  in  matters  of  faith  as  they  do  in  their  college 
clays.  Owing  to  entrance  into  a  “roomier  universe’'  and  the  necessary 
adjustment  to  new  processes  and  results  of  knowledge,  there  is  in  the  great 
majority  of  cases  a  very  serious  mental  breakup.  The  student’s  religious' 
mental  life  becomes,  like  James’  baby  world,  “A  great  big  buzzing,  bloom¬ 
ing  confusion.  ’  ’  He  needs  sympathetic  wise  direction  that  these  days  of 
confusion  may  in  the  end  be  reconstruction  days.  Who  is  best  qualified  to 
give  such  direction?  Not  the  pastor  at  home  away  from  the  ever-changing 
student  sentiment,  but  the  pastor  at  the  University,  who  is  sensitive  to  the 
atmosphere  and  all  the  currents  of  the  University  life. 

c.  Parallel  to  the  mental  are  the  moral  difficulties  of  the  student.  Be¬ 
cause  of  loss  of  faith  he  often  feels  that  in  the  field  of  conduct  he  is  with¬ 
out  a  pilot.  Moreover,  in  the  large  freedom  of  the  student  community — 
coupled  with  the  freedom  from  the  restraints  of  parental  and  community 
opinion — there  are  inevitably  new  temptations.  Here  is  work  for  the 
church. 

d.  There  is  a  lack  of  personal  touch  with  the  student  on  the  part  of 
University  men,  which  is  compensated  for  in  part  through  small  church 
groups.  Many  faculty  men,  moreover,  appreciate  as  much  as  the  students 
the  opportunities  offered  through  the  church. 

e.  The  danger  of  overemphasis  on  the  material  at  state  universities  is 
apparent.  We  note  the  advantages  to  the  community  of  effective  engineers, 
highly  trained  lawyers  and  physicians  and  accurately  developed  commer¬ 
cial  leaders,  but  the  church  is  needed  on  the  field  to  assert  continually  that 
making  a  living  even  at  a  high  rate  of  efficiency  does  not  take  the  place 
of  making  a  life. 

f.  The  problem  of  leadership  is  to  be  in  some  large  measure  solved 
through  the  University  church.  Great  numbers  of  our  most  promising  young 
])eople  are  at  our  state  institutions.  They  should  be  recruiting  ground  for 
both  lay  and  ministerial  leaders. 

IV.  Granted — the  need  of  the  student  being  brought  into  as  close  touch 
as  possible  with  the  church  in  his  University  days — does  that  mean  that 
he  ought  to  bring  his  letter?  Why  not  keep  it  at  home? 

a.  University  days  are  a  very  essential  part  of  his  life.  When  we  com¬ 
pare  colleges  and  universities  we  find  that  in  the  latter  the  break  with  home 
is  apt  to  be  more  definite.  ^  ^  Out  of  495  graduates  of  the  University  of 
Illinois  last  year  (1911),  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Alumni  Associa¬ 
tion  and  that  of  the  Alumni  record  have  definite  data  that  342  are  not 
now  living  at  their  old  home,  the  place  from  which  they  entered  the 
University.  Of  the  153  of  whom  there  is  no  data,  probably  one-half  are 
not  residents  of  their  old  home,  according  to  the  estimates  of  a  member 
of  the  class.”  (Daily  Illini). 

The  day  a  student  leaves  his  home  town  for  college,  that  day  the  town 
ties  begin  to  weaken,  and  the  church  ties  fade  along  with  the  rest,  and 
because  of  the  frequent  changes  of  ministers  in  smaller  towns,  the  bond  is 
still  more  weakened.  The  student’s  obligation  grows  remote  in  the  midst 


40 


of  his  own  activities,  the  requirements  of  the  college,  and  of  the  new  com¬ 
munity  into  which  he  goes.  It  is  not  sensed  clearly  nor  deeply. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  he  is  a  member  of  a  local  church  while  in  school, 
he  feels  this  obligation  more  clearly,  and  more  deeply.  It  is  quite  true 
that  students  as  a  whole  do  not  feel  any  of  these  obligations  with  very 
great  depth,  but  they  are  larger  the  nearer  they  are  and  the  more  they  are 
thrown  on  their  own  responsibility.  A  student  soon  creates  his  own  field 
of  interest  where  he  is,  and  does  not  and  cannot  ‘  ‘  build  new  mansions  for 
his  soul”  back  home,  merely  by  memory  and  imagination  of  what  was  once 
there. 

a.  The  pastor  of  the  home  church  should  keep  in  close  touch  with  the 
student  after  he  has  left  home  and  wuth  the  University  church. 

b.  Whether  the  student  brings  his  letter  or  affiliates — ^it  is  a  thoroughly 
good  policy  and  necessary  in  the  largest  way  possible  to  keep  the  student 
looking  back  to  the  community  from  which  he  came,  studying  the  problems 
of  the  home  church  in  the  light  of  his  larger  vision  and  his  new  activities. 

c.  While  in  school  he  should  keep  in  touch  wuth  the  home  Young  People’s 
Society,  the  Sunday  School,  and  the  various  activities  which  interested  him 
while  at  home. 

d.  He  can  help  the  Young  Men’s  and  Young  Women’s  Christian  Asso¬ 
ciations  get  track  of  High  School  students  and  help  look  out  for  them. 

VI.  Relation  of  the  Student  to  the  University  Church. 

a.  Its  activities.  There  are  countless  ways  in  which  the  student  may 
be  enlisted  which  I  do  not  undertake  to  enumerate  here.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
he  must  be  led  to  assume  large  responsibilities  in  the  church  life,  both  for 
his  own  sake  and  for  his  growing  usefulness  in  the  years  beyond  those  of 
his  University  career. 

b.  Financial  support.  The  student  pays  for  the  other  things  he  desires. 
As  a  matter  of  habit  and  principle  he  should  support  according  to  his 
ability  the  church  with  which  he  is  identified  while  in  school.  Care,  at¬ 
tention  and  tact  will  be  necessary  to  secure  such  support,  but  the  solicita¬ 
tion  and  collecting  offer  still  another  bit  of  training  for  student  leaders. 
My  experience  is  that  the  student  likes  to  feel  that  lie  is  not  ‘  ‘  dead 
heading”  his  way  in  his  church  life. 

A  professor  friend  furnished  me  this  note:  ”  If  I  had  a  son  going  away 
to  college,  I  should  repeat  the  advice  that  a  Princeton  man  some  thirty 
years  ago  gave  his  son  who  was  going  to  Chicago  to  settle.  ‘  My  son,  ’  said 
lie,  ‘I  want  you  to  do  two  things:  find  a  thoroughly  good  boarding  house 
where  you  will  feel  at  home,  and  then  rent  a  pew  in  your  father ’s  church, 
and  he  seen  in  it  cvcru  Suitday,  and  here  is  the  money  for  you  to  do  it 
with.’  I  have  never  forgotten  that  remark.  I  believe  that  if  the  fathers 
and  mothers  of  students  w^ould  speak  to  them  of  this  matter  before  th^ 
boy  or  girl  leaves  home,  tell  them  to  unite  with  the  church  where  the  col¬ 
lege  is,  and  then  give  them  money  to  cause  a  feeling  of  proprietary  interest 
in  the  church,  half  the  difficulties  of  the  problem  would  be  solved.  ’  ’  As  it 
is,  the  student  is  too  often  “neither  up  nor  down,”  neither  an  active  mem¬ 
ber  at  home  nor  any  kind  of  a  one  away.  No  better  conditions  could  be 
devised  to  break  his  ties  with  the  church. 

41 


HOW  CAN  DENOMINATIONAL  AND  ASSOCIATION  WORKERS  CO¬ 
OPERATE  IN  THE  STATE  UNIVERSITY? 


By.  J.  E.  Elliott,  National  Secretary  Y.  M.  C.  A.  for  Colleges  and 

Universities  of  the  West 

Something  of  the  moral  and  spiritual  need  of  students  in  state  univer¬ 
sities  is  signified  by  the  presence  at  this  conference  of  so  representative  a 
group  of  religious  workers  among  students.  All  have  come  because  the 
problem  before  us  is  so  complex  and  so  gigantic. 

Without  question  one  of  the  three  greatest  problems  that  confronts  the 
churches  today  is  the  problem  that  has  brought  this  group  of  workers 
together.  As  significant  as  other  tasks  facing  the  churches  may  be,  their 
solution  in  large  part,  rests  upon  the  solving  of  the  moral  and  spiritual 
problems  of  the  men  and  women  in  the  universities.  From  these  ranks  are 
to  come  a  large  percentage  of  the  leadership  of  the  future. 

In  the  past,  necessarily  much  experimenting  has  been  doue  and  many 
opinions  have  been  expressed.  However,  it  is  but  fair  to  state  that  there 
never  has  been  a  time  when  all  leaders,  both  those  of  the  churches  and 
those  of  the  associations,  were  so  nearly  of  one  mind  as  they  are  at  present. 
Without  doubt,  we  may  today  discuss  the  subject  before  us  with  open  and 
unprejudiced  minds;  all  equally  desirous  of  seeing  the  largest  work  for  the 
extension  of  Christ's  Kingdom  accomplished.  In  so  doing,  the  speaker 
believes  that  we  will  make  the  largest  contribution  to  our  common  cause  if 
we  eliminate  from  our  thinking  personalities  and  extreme  incidents  and  deal 
with  those  principles  that  we  believe  to  be  fundamental. 

1.  We  recognize  that  the  church  is  the  only  organization  that  can  per¬ 
manently  care  for  the  religious  life  of  the  individual.  All  other  organiza¬ 
tions  should,  therefore,  supplement  the  work  of  the  churches  and  not  allow 
themselves  to  become  a  substitute  for  the  churches. 

2.  The  problem  that  is  confronting  the  churches  in  state  university 
centers  is  more  than  a  community  responsibility.  From  the  homes,  repre¬ 
senting  many  churches  and  many  denominations,  there  come  to  these  state 
universities  young  men  and  young  women  who  are  to  remain  in  the  college 
community  but  for  a  limited  period  of  time.  The  representatives  from  a 
single  denomination  may  be  numbered  by  the  hundreds  while  the  permanent 
residents  of  that  specific  denomination  in  the  college  community  may  be  less 
than  a  score.  It  is  very  clear  that  this  mere  handful  of  Christians  repre¬ 
senting  this  denomination,  devoted  as  they  may  be,  should  not  be  expected  to 
bear  the  entire  responsibility  for  the  religious  care  of  the  hundreds  who 
have  come  from  churches  from  the  whole  state.  If  the  representatives  of 
any  denomination  from  the  entire  state  make  the  problem  in  any  university 
center  any  greater  than  the  clinrch  of  that  denomination  in  the  college 
community  is  able  to  adequately  minister  to,  then  the  churches  of  that 
denomination  from  the  entire  state  whose  representatives  make  such  a 
problem  should  be  expected  to  provide  their  legitimate  share  in  establishing 
and  maintaining  a  wmrk  that  is  adequate. 


42 


3.  The  fundamental  features  of  a  church  that  shall  intelligently  grapple 
with  the  problems  in  our  state  universities  are:  First,  a  pastor,  who, 
because  of  his  personality,  training  and  experience,  has  a  vital  message  for 
students  and  is  amply  qualified  to  give  such  a  message  and  conduct  work 
that  will  appeal  to  students.  Have  we  not  reached  the  time  when  we  may 
say  with  one  voice  that  we  consider  the  pastorates  in  state  university  centers 
second  to  none  in  importance,  and  that  we  should  join  in  a  united  policy  to 
have  called  to  university  centers  the  greatest  pastors  of  the  day?  It  is  the 
opinion  of  the  writer  that  while  we  may  have  theoretically  believed  in  such 
an  emphasis  we  have  not  consistently  endeavored  to  so  emphasize  the  pas¬ 
torates  in  university  centers  that  the  greatest  men  in  the  pastorate  are 
persuaded  that  the  most  highly  multiplying  influence  that  a  man  may  have 
today  is  in  one  of  these  university  centers.  Much  of  indifference  on  the  part 
of  the  students  while  in  college  relative  to  church  attendance  and  activity 
in  church  enterprises  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  pastors  of  the  university 
centers  have  not  understood  the  students,  were  not  able  or  were  not  willing 
to  adapt  their  message  to  the  student’s  needs.  The  writer  has  visited 
University  centers  where  students  by  the  score  were  leaving  their  denom¬ 
ination  to  attend  services  of  another  denomination  solely  because  the  ap¬ 
peal  of  the  pastor  of  their  own  denomination  made  no  appeal  to  them. 
Moreover,  there  are  some  University  pastors  whose  efficiency  in  the  work 
they  are  called  to  do  has  been  seriously  impaired  because  the  pastor  of  his 
denomination  in  the  college  community  did  not  have  the  personality,  mes¬ 
sage  or  plan  of  work  that  appealed  to  students.  Likevcise  much  of  the 
criticism  which  has  been  hurled  against  the  Christian  Associations  in  ref¬ 
erence  to  relationship  has  been  unjust  because  of  the  existing  barriers 
which  the  church  placed  between  the  students  and  itself  which  no  organ¬ 
ization  could  overcome.  The  day  is  past  when  the  loyalty  of  students  can 
be  held  by  the  authority  or  ritual  of  the  church.  It  should,  therefore,  give 
us  the  greater  concern  that  the  pastorate  in  these  strategic  centers  be  so 
magnified  that  men  will  be  secured  who  will  themselves  be  a  great  living 
apologetic  of  the  opportunity  in  the  Christian  ministry.  If  the  pastors 
of  the  churches  attended  by  students  do  not  appeal  to  students  one  of  two 
things  will  inevitably  happen;  either  the  students  will  become  totally  in¬ 
different  concerning  religious  worship  and  church  activity  and  not  attend 
church  at  all  or  else  they  will  seek  the  man  who  has  the  message  that  ap¬ 
peals  to  them. 

Are  we  not  further  agreed  that  in  a  church  where  the  University  pastor 
conducts  public  service  for  students  and  residents,  a  church  aided  by  con¬ 
tributions  from  individuals  or  churches  outside  the  college  community  to 
enable  it  to  accomplish  a  more  adequate  work  for  students,  that  the  pastor 
should  consider  his  first  obligation  to  the  students?  Are  we  meeting  the 
situation  by  simply  lessening  the  financial  burden  of  the  church  in  the 
college  community,  contented  that  the  message  from  the  pulpit  be  chiefly 
for  the  residents  of  the  community?  When  a  larger  part  of  the  problem 
becomes  the  students  should  not  the  pastor  prepare  bis  sermons  and  or¬ 
ganize  his  work  with  the  students  chiefly  as  his  objective?  If  work  must 


43 


he  delegated  to  assistants  should  not  the  less  important  work  be  delegated? 
In  short,  if  a  church’s  constituency  is  made  up  of  one  hundred  residents 
and  six  hundred  students  for  which  class  has  the  church  the  maximum  re¬ 
sponsibility?  I  realize  that  this  is  a  very  delicate  problem  to  adjust,  but 
it  seems  to  me  that  there  is  great  need  for  clear  thinking  here.  Personally 
I  feel  very  keenly  that  there  are  many  centers  where  the  whole  cause  will 
be  better  served  if  the  pastor  will  consider  his  first  obligation  to  the  stu¬ 
dents,  and  when  his  combined  work  for  students  and  members  of  the  com¬ 
munity  demand  an  assistant  he  will  delegate  the  smaller  work  of  the 
community  rather  than  the  work  among  students.  I  am  in  entire  sympathy 
with  the  University  pastor  but  believe  that  he  should  either  be  the  pastor 
of  the  local  church  or  an  associate  to  the  pastor  of  that  church.  I  believe 
the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  in  these  great  University  centers  we  will 
see  as  pastors  of  churches  especially  interested  in  students  not  only  the 
greatest  personalities  in  the  pastorate,  but  associated  with  them  men  and 
women  especially  qualified  for  specific  tasks. 

Second,  we  should  realize  in  our  University  centers  in  the  very  near 
future  a  material  equipment  for  the  churches  that  is  more  adequate.  Our 
denominations  have  poured  their  thousands  and  millions  of  dollars  into 
the  denominational  colleges.  The  coming  decade  should  witness  the  pour¬ 
ing  of  millions  into  church  material  equipment  in  these  great  state  uni¬ 
versity  centers.  It  is  useless  to  think  of  calling  a  $5,000  or  $10,000  pas¬ 
tor  to  a  university  center  and  expect  him  to  work  in  a  $20,000  equipment. 
If  the  church  shall  adequately  serve  the  churches  of  the  state  which  are 
pouring  the  cream  of  their  young  manhood  and  womanhood  into  the  state 
universities  then  each  denomination  must  have  in  these  centers  a  material 
equipment  where  an  ideal  work  for  young  men  and  young  women  of  Uni¬ 
versity  age  may  be  carried  on. 

Third.  There  is  a  growing  need  for  the  regular  curriculum  work  of  the 
state  universities  to  be  supplemented  by  thorough,  comprehensive  courses 
in  Eeligious  Education.  The  leadership  of  these  courses  should  be  by  men 
who  are  recognized  intellectually  as  the  peers  of  the  deans  of  any  de¬ 
partment  of  the  university  and  who  likewise  possess  an  attractive  person¬ 
ality  and  a  vital  religious  experience.  Any  movement  to  establish  Bible 
chairs  or  combine  denominational  colleges  with  the  state  university  without 
duplication  of  effort  should  meet  the  approval  of  all.  Such  a  work  does 
not  in  any  way  conflict  with  the  voluntary  religious  education  work  of  the 
churches  or  the  associations  but  should  enable  them  to  be  more  eflicient  in 
their  work. 

Any  work  of  a  church  in  a  university  center  which  is  adequate  will  not 
only  consider  its  problem  in  terms  of  the  men  and  women  who  are  present 
for  college  work,  but  will  feel  a  responsibility  for  devising  ways  and  means: 
First,  for  exerting  the  maximum  influence  over  the  young  men  and  women 
in  the  communities  from  which  students  come  by  discovering  the  maximum 
points  of  contact  between  the  strongest  and  most  representative  life  in  the 
college  church  with  those  who  are  able  to  be  the  college  men  and  women- 
of  tomorrow.  Second,  by  seeking  in  every  possible  way  to  efiiciently  train 


44 


men  and  women  in  religious  activities  in  relation  with  the  church  so  that 
after  graduation  they  may  become  the  trained  workers  in  the  church  such 
as  superintendents  of  the  Sunday  School,  teachers  of  classes,  office  bearers 
in  the  church  and  in  many  other  ways  occupy  places  of  Christian  leader¬ 
ship  in  the  communities  where  they  are  to  reside. 

6.  The  experience  of  those  who  have  been  most  successful  in  their  work 
among  students  has  clearly  demonstrated  the  fact  that  we  must  discover 
ways  and  means  in  our  religious  w-ork  whereby  the  maximum  responsibility 
and  initiative  for  the  religious  welfare  of  the  student  may  be  placed  upon 
the  shoulders  of  the  students  themselves.  Unless  this  is  done  we  shall  not 
succeed  in  solving  our  problem  and  we  shall  fail  to  give  to  the  communi¬ 
ties  of  the  state  a  religious  leadership  that  is  adequate. 

7.  Those  who  are  closest  to  student  life  realize  that  some  things  can 
best  be  accomplished  by  wmrking  together.  The  unity  of  the  Christian 
forces  in  a  great  campaign  such  as  the  one  held  at  Illinois  recently  where 
the  entire  university  was  influenced  in  a  marvelous  manner  is  but  evidence 
of  what  may  be  accomplished  when  our  forces  are  really  united.  While 
it  is  important  to  encourage  church  loyalty  and  every  student  should  be 
instilled  with  the  fact  that  the  church  of  today,  notwithsanding  any  criti¬ 
cism  to  the  contrary,  offers  the  greatest  opportunity  of  organized  Christian 
service  to  the  majority  of  college  graduates,  yet  a  large  part  of  the  prob¬ 
lem  in  our  university  centers  is  among  the  non-churched,  hundreds  not  even 
signifying  a  church  preference.  Without  question  we  will  do  well  to  move 
upon  this  body  with  forces  united  both  from  the  aspect  of  giving  concrete 
service  to  Christian  students  and  also  from  the  aspect  of  reaching  the 
unchurched.  With  so  large  a  percentage  of  our  problem  still  unsolved 
and  with  demands  so  distinct  for  both  denominational  and  interdenom¬ 
inational  activity,  should  we  not  all  exercise  the  greatest  statesmanship 
that  the  maximum  results  may  be  secured? 

8.  The  end  of  all  interdenominational  work  must  be  to  magnify  and 
intensify  the  work  of  the  churches  which  it  serves.  Churches  can  not  be 
expected  to  give  their  best  life  continually  for  interdenominational  leader¬ 
ship  which  in  turn  does  not  make  the  church  the  anchor  of  all  its  work. 
On  the  other  hand  if  it  is  the  business  of  the  churches  to  evangelize  the 
world  and  they  can  best  discharge  a  part  of  its  obligation  to  the  men  and 
women  of  the  college  in  interdenominational  activity,  have  we  not  a  right 
to  expect  an  earnest  expression  of  its  purpose? 

9.  Every  interdenominational  agency  must  have  some  recognized  basis. 
This  basis  must  be  determined  by  the  wmrk  it  seeks  to  accomplish  and  its 
control  must  be  in  the  hands  of  those  Avho  believe  in  the  objective  and  urc 
willing  to  wmrk  together.  This  is  highly  specialized  work — a  task  for  ex¬ 
perts.  Consequently  this  federated  activity  must  have  a  more  vital  and  or¬ 
ganic  community  of  interests  than  that  Avhich  should  obtain  in  a  loosely 
co-ordinated  society  of  those  who  find  common  ground  only  on  such  sub¬ 
jects  as  good  morals,  social  service,  adequate  governmental  and  humani¬ 
tarian  ethics. 

10.  We  have  now  come  to  the  consideration  of  the  Young  Men’s  and 


45 


Young  Women’s  Christian  Associations.  Before  the  churches  felt  the  need 
of  increasing  the  efficiency  in  denominational  work  in  state  university 
centers,  the  associations  had  been  organized  and  were  struggling,  sometimes 
against  almost  unsurmountable  obstacles,  to  enlist  and  train  students  within 
the  universities  in  unselfish  service.  That  there  were  and  are  weaknesses  in 
the  work  no  one  will  deny,  but  that  these  organizations  have  enabled  the 
churches  to  make  much  larger  contributions  to  the  extension  of  Christ’s 
Kingdom  no  one  will  deny  who  views  this  situation  discerningly.  It  is 
worth  our  consideration  that  as  a  result  of  a  branch  of  the  association’s 
activity  there  are  now  on  the  fields  we  call  foreign  over  5000  men  and 
women  who  were  led  to  volunteer  for  the  foreign  field  while  in  the  college 
through  the  work  conducted  by  these  organizations. 

There  is  scarcely  a  college  in  the  land  where  these  organizations  are  not 
to  be  found.  Nearly  two  hundred  men  are  giving  their  entire  time  as 
secretaries  of  the  College  Young  Men’s  Christian  Associations  and  in  many 
of  the  state  universities  large,  well  equipped  association  buildings  have 
l>een  erected.  The  young  women  are  likewise  well  organized  and  are  sum¬ 
moning  to  their  leadership  the  strongest  Christian  women  from  the  colleges. 
The  work  that  is  being  accomplished  in  every  institution  by  these  associa¬ 
tions  speaks  for  itself  and  there  is  no  need  to  mention  the  summer  con¬ 
ferences,  the  institutes,  conventions  and  various  other  association  activities. 
All  are  additional  testimony  of  the  fact  that  there  is  much  work  for  our 
students  that  can  best  be  accomplished  by  working  together.  During  all 
these  years  the  associations  have  insisted  that  they  should  be  maintained 
as  student  organizations,  believing  that  the  maximum  responsibility  for  the 
work  should  be  borne  by  the  students  themselves,  and  even  in  associations  in 
control  of  large  material  equipment  with  few  exceptions,  half  of  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  board  of  directors  are  students,  associating  with  them  only 
a  sufficient  number  of  professors  and  business  men  as  will  insure  repre¬ 
sentative,  wise  and  adequate  supervision.  Have  not  the  Young  Men’s  and 
Young  Women’s  Christian  Associations  the  organization  objective  and  ex¬ 
perience  to  entitle  them  to  remain  the  interdenominational  agency  of  those 
churches  that  can  work  together? 

If  there  is  a  distinct  place  in  our  state  universities  for  a  denominational 
and  an  interdenominational  work  it  is  likewise  clear  that  there  should  be 
a  unified  policy.  There  should  be  the  clearest  understanding  between  the 
leaders  of  the  churches,  the  leaders  of  the  associations  and  the  leaders  of 
other  religious  or  philanthropic  organizations  or  agencies  in  the  college 
community.  If  each  has  a  distinct  work  and  the  responsibilities  of  each 
are  clearly  defined  then  there  need  be  no  suspicion  or  jealousy.  Our  com¬ 
mon  cause  has  suffered  much  in  the  past  because  too  often  we  have  believed 
ourselves  to  be  entirely  sufficient.  If  we  can  agree  on  the  objectives  of  our 
work  then  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  adjusting  methods.  We  recognize 
the  need  of  denominational  as  well  as  interdenominational  activity,  then 
all  representatives  become  responsible  for  promoting  denominational  and 
interdenominational  work.  There  need  be  no  overlapping  of  work,  no  back¬ 
biting  or  heart  aches  for  our  objective  is  clear,  our  policy  unified  and  our 
responsibilities  defined. 


46 


HOW  CAN  THE  UNIVERSITY  PROFESSOR  AND  ADVISOR 
CO-OPERATE  WITH  THE  UNIVERSITY  PASTOR 
AND  ASSOCIATION  WORKER  AT 
THE  UNIVERSITY? 

Professor  C.  E,  Seashore,  Dean  of  the  Graduate  College,  University  of 
Iowa,  led  this  discussion.  The  brief,  but  suggestive,  outline,  which  follows, 
was  placed  in  the  hand  of  each  delegate  by  way  of  preparation  for  the 
discussion : 

1.  By  his  attitude  toward  religion. 

a.  In  his  teaching. 

b.  In  his  direct  utterances  on  religion. 

c.  In  his  unconscious  attitude. 

2.  By  his  relations  to  the  student. 

a.  As  a  personal  friend. 

b.  As  vocational  expert. 

c.  As  spiritual  adviser. 

3.  By  his  attitude  toward  the  religious  worker. 

a.  In  university  fellowship. 

b.  By  church  relationship. 

c.  In  direct  cooperation  in  special  cases. 


THE  PERSONAL  ELEMENT  IN  RELIGIOUS  WORK  FOR 
UNIVERSITY  STUDENTS 

Discussion  led  by  the  Rev.  Matthew  G.  Allison,  Presbyteran  University 
Pastor,  University  of  Wisconsin. 

“Personal  Work”  is  not  a  popular  subject.  It  is  but  another  name  for 
the  old  “pastoral  work”  which  ministers  usually  dislike  so  much.  This 
work  is  not  popular  because  it  seems  rather  old-womanish.  It  has  nothing 
spectacular  about  it  as  preaching  has. 

But  it  is  more  disliked  because  it  is  such  hard  work.  It  is  much  harder 
than  preaching.  It  is  much  easier  to  preach  to  a  thousand  people  than  to 
talk  to  one  man.  Many  fine  preachers  would  lose  their  heads  at  once  if 
one  man  should  get  up  in  the  congregation  and  begin  to  dispute  with  them. 
And  many  fine  preachers  are  absolutely  helpless  when  it  comes  to  talking 
in  private  with  just  one  person. 

But  the  best  kind  of  preaching,  as  Beecher  said,  is  when  there  is  only  one 
of  a  congregation  and  you  have  him  by  the  lapel  of  the  coat  looking  into 
his  eyes.  You  meet  a  man  then  on  his  own  ground.  You  must  get  down  to 
business.  You  can’t  ramble  along  about  things  that  may  be  of  no  interest 
to  him.  You  must  face  his  objections  and  answer  his  arguments.  You  deal 
with  him  at  home,  where  he  lives. 

The  greatest  results  in  all  departments  of  ‘  ‘  work  with  people  ’  ’  are 
produced  with  the  personal  method.  The  politician  does  not  depend  for 
his  election  on  campaign  speeches  and  band-wagon  parades.  He  depends 


47 


on  the  day  and  night  gum-shoe  method  of  meeting  this  individual  and  that 
face  to  face  and  hand  to  hand.  The  merchant  does  not  expect  success 
merely  through  having  a  fine  store  or  even  advertising  his  goods  well.  He 
sends  personal  letters  or  catalogues  to  people  individually  and  his  drum¬ 
mers  go  out  and  deal  with  them  where  they  are. 

The  two  men  who  are  most  responsible  for  what  our  modern  world  is, 
intellectually  and  morally,  accomplished  their  results  by  this  means. 
Socrates  had  no  school.  He  wrote  no  books.  He  made  no  big  addresses. 
He  spent  his  time  going  around  the  city  of  Athens  talking  to  this  man 
and  the  other  on  the  street  corners.  He  made  himself  such  a  public 
nuisance  and  exerted  such  influence,  by  this  means,  that  Athens  finally 
put  him  to  death.  It  is  said  he  was  subverting  the  youth  of  the  city  and 
overturning  the  state.  And  his  ‘  ‘  dialogues  ’  ’ — his  conversations  with 
those  to  whom  he  talked — are  the  foundation  of  modern  philosophy. 

Jesus  had  no  church.  He  wrote  no  books.  He  held  no  big  conventions. 
He  wandered  over  Palestine,  hither  and  yon,  talking  to  this  man  here  and 
that  woman  there.  After  two  or  three  years  of  it  Palestine  put  him  to 
death  as  the  nation ’s  most  dangerous  man.  His  conversations  reported 
by  those  who  overheard  him  are  the  foundation  of  modern  religion. 

Jesus’  method  was  the  method  of  dealing  with  the  individual.  He 
would  turn  away  from  crowds  but  not  from  a  man  or  woman.  Even  that 
one  of  the  Gospel  accounts  of  him  which  would  be  least  thought  of  as 
showing  this  is  a  hand-book  on  this.  It  is  the  Gospel  of  John.  It  is  com¬ 
monly  thought  of  as  a  Gospel  of  deep  Christian  thought  and  profound 
theological  discussions.  But  it  is  a  story  from  begining  to  end  of  Jesus’ 
dealing  with  individuals,  and  the  results.  Even  the  profound  thought  is 
either  addressed  to  individuals  or  arises  from  relations  with  them. 

For  illustration,  run  through  just  this  one  Gospel,  chapter  by  chapter. 
In  the  first  chapter  we  have  the  gathering  of  the  first  disciples,  one  by  one. 
In  the  second,  Jesus  is  going  the  length  of  the  land  to  attend  the  wedding 
of  a  young  girl  friend  and  to  begin  his  ministry  by  saving  her  wedding 
from  failure.  In  the  third  chapter,  he  is  sitting  through  the  long  night 
talking  with  Nicodemus.  In  the  fourth,  he  is  leading  the  woman  of 
Samaria  into  the  light.  In  the  fifth,  he  is  healing  the  lame  man  at  Bethes- 
da.  The  sixth  is  the  account  of  the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand  but 
through  his  influence  with  a  little  boy  who  gives  up  his  dinner  for  the 
occasion.  The  seventh  comes  out  of  the  fifth.  In  the  eighth,  he  is  face 
to  face  with  the  woman  taken  in  sin.  The  ninth  is  the  story  of  the  healing 
of  the  man  born  blind  and  the  tenth  comes  out  of  it.  In  the  eleventh, 
he  risks  his  life  for  Lazarus,  an  otherwise  unknown  friend.  The  twelfth 
is  the  aftermath  of  this.  From  the  thirteenth  to  the  seventeenth  he  is 
behind  closed  doors  talking  to  his  twelve  disciples  collectively  and  indi¬ 
vidually.  His  relations  with  individuals  in  the  remaining  stories  of  his 
trial,  death  and  resurrection  are  too  numerous  to  mention.  The  Gospel 
closes  by  his  appearing  to  convince  one  man,  Thomas,  that  he  is  alive 
again. 

Then  read  the  appendix  in  the  twenty-first  chapter.  It  is  the  story  of 


48 


Jesus  taking  one  man,  Peter,  apart  to  tell  him  of  his  future  and  that  he 
must  live  his  individual  life  regardless  of  the  way  the  others  go,  even 
his  best  friend,  John.  “If  I  will  that  John  tarry  till  I  come  what  is 
that  to  thee?  Follow  thou  me’’  are  the  last  words  of  Jesus  spoken  on 
earth  recorded  in  this  latest  Gospel.  They  express  the  feeling  of  the 
writer  who  was  Jesus’  most  confidential  friend  that  the  Christian  religion 
is  a  personal  matter  and  is  to  be  made  to  go  in  the  world  by  facing  the 
individual  man  and  bearing  hard  down  on  him. 

It  is  by  this  personal  method  that  workers  for  Jesus  succeed.  I  was  the 
pastor  of  a  church  for  years.  I  tried  sociological,  world-regarding 
schemes  and  failed.  I  tried  mere  preaching  and  failed.  I  tried  evange¬ 
listic  meetings  and  failed.  Then  I  tried  face  to  face  personal  work  and 
succeeded  and  whatever  success  I  have  today  is  due  to  the  same  method. 

It  is  so  with  others.  Evangelists  get  converts  by  first  getting  church 
people  to  volunteer  for  personal  work  and  then  setting  them  on  this  indi¬ 
vidual  and  that.  Tw^o  ministers  with  churches  across  the  street  from  each 
other  in  the  town  where  I  live  received  into  their  churches  about  two 
hundred  members  apiece  the  last  year,  most  of  them  in  each  case  on  con¬ 
fession  of  faith.  They  did  it  because  they  are  both  indefatigable  chasers 
of  the  individual.  Dr.  Talmage  was  the  most  popular  preacher  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  ‘  ‘  Follow  the  crowd,  ’  ’  said  the  policeman  when  a 
stranger  asked  the  way  to  his  church.  But  Dr.  Talmage  Avas  no  pastor  and 
his  church  has  disappeared  from  the  earth.  Dr,  Cuyler  Avorked  beside 
him  with  the  motto,  ‘  ‘  A  house-going  pastor  makes  church-going  people,  ’  ’ 
and  his  church  is  still  doing  business  at  the  same  old  stand  and  is  one  of 
the  strongest  and  most  influential  churches  of  the  land. 

Now  this  is  our  university  pastor  method  at  Wisconsin.  It  is  the  first 
and  fundamental  feature  of  our  AAork.  Whatever  else  we  do  or  do  not,  we 
make  it  our  aim  to  see  all  the  students  of  our  respective  churches,  and 
those  of  no  church,  personally  and  individually,  during  the  year,  and  to 
present  to  them  the  subject  of  religion  and  the  church.  As  to  the  success 
of  our  method,  we  leave  the  pastors  and  churches  of  Madison  to  say.  We 
ourselves  feel  it  so  fully  justified  that  we  recommend  it  as  the  first  feature 
in  their  work  not  only  to  all  uniA^ersity  pastors  but  to  all  other  ministers 
and  church  workers. 

Personally,  I  feel  that  under  present  conditions  it  is  about  the  only 
Avork  to  which  the  university  pastor  should  give  his  attention.  Not  that 
other  kinds  of  work  are  not  important,  but  our  Avorking  force  is  small  and 
if  we  do  this  work  satisfactorily  we  shall  not  have  time  for  much  else. 
And  if  we  do  this,  we  do  Avhat  all  other  kinds  of  Avork  aim  to  do.  For 
we  meet  our  constituents  on  their  OAvn  ground.  We  come  face  to  face 
with  their  individual  needs.  And  we  have  an  opportunity  to  ansAver  these 
needs  with  direct  personal  words  which  can  always  do  more  than  a  multi¬ 
tude  of  roundabout  methods  can  accomplish.  It  was  the  Avay  Socrates 
turned  Athens  upside  doAvn  and  founded  modern  philosophy.  It  was  the 
way  Jesus  turned  Palestine  upside  down  and  founded  the  modern  church 
and  the  modern  world. 


49 


HOW  TO  REACH  THE  STUDENT  DURING  THE  FIRST  FOUR 
WEEKS  OF  HIS  UNIVERSITY  LIFE 


The  Rev,  Howard  R.  Gold,  Lutheran  University  Pastor, 
University  of  Wisconsin, 

To  reach  the  student  effectively  during  the  first  weeks  of  his  university 
life  is  one  of  the  essential  functions  of  the  Christian  worker.  The  demands 
upon  the  attention  of  the  student  are  almost  overwhelming  and  it  is  a  bit 
of  fine  strategy  on  the  part  of  the  worker  if  he  confronts  his  man  with  the 
claims  of  the  church  before,  or  at  the  same  time,  that  athletics,  fraternities 
and  similar  interests  present  and  urge  their  cause.  The  strategic  charac¬ 
ter  of  the  first  weeks  has  not  been  sufficiently  recognized.  We  have  often 
labored  for  the  Avhole  year  and  have  not  even  accomplished  the  purpose 
which  might  easily  have  been  attained  in  the  first  or  second  week. 

It  is  necessary  first  of  all  to  locate  your  student  at  home.  This  may  be 
done  by  conference  with  his  pastor  and  later  with  him.  The  pastors  of 
the  territory  from  which  an  institution  draws  its  students  chiefly  should 
be  acquainted  with  the  university  pastor  and  should  not  fail  to  advise  him 
of  any  students  that  may  have  decided  to  attend  that  institution.  Pastors 
everywhere  should  inform  the  university  pastor,  local  pastor  or  association 
secretary  of  the  movements  of  their  student  members.  When  the  home 
pastor  is  negligent,  the  university  worker  must  be  all  the  more  active. 
When  the  student’s  name  and  address  are  ascertained,  correspondence  with 
him  may  begin.  He  may  be  invited  to  the  local  church  and  canvassed  and 
enrolled  in  a  Bible  class.  He  has  now  come  into  touch  with  the  university 
pastor  and  will  look  forward  to  meeting  him.  Correspondence  with  parents 
must  be  conducted  judiciously,  if  at  all,  at  this  time,  or  the  student 
becomes  suspicious. 

The  task  to  locate  the  student  at  the  university  still  remains.  Most 
students  find  their  living  quarters  after  arrival  and  the  surest  and  quickest 
means  of  obtaning  the  address  is  the  office  of  the  registrar.  Nearly  all 
universities  take  a  religious  census.  All  of  them  require  the  street  ad¬ 
dress. 

A  large  number  of  students  are  strangers  in  the  university  town.  To 
these  and  many  others,  a  valuable  service  can  be  rendered.  The  Christian 
Associations  are  well  equipped  for  this  work.  There  are  deputations  of 
student  workers  to  meet  the  incoming  trains.  There  is  a  check  room  for 
baggage  at  the  building.  There  are  information  and  employment  bureaus, 
the  bread  line”  frequently  requiring  the  services  of  two  or  three  active 
deputies.  “Stag  parties”  and  “mixers”  are  on  the  program  every  even¬ 
ing  and  Association  Hall,  through  its  officers  and  reinforcement  of  workers, 
if  alive  to  its  opportunities,  is  pulling  long  strokes.  The  first  evenings 
away  from  home  and  when  many  restraints  are  removed,  when  excitement 
runs  high  on  the  campus  and  down  town,  are  critical  for  the  new  student. 

Strong  ties  between  the  student  and  the  local  church  should  be  formed. 

After  he  has  been  located,  literature  may  be  sent  but  nothing  can  take 


50 


the  place  of  a  personal  call.  The  pastor  should  call.  A  mature  student 
of  an  upper  class  or  church  member  may  call.  Groups  of  students  can 
render  a  good  service  by  calling  on  a  given  number  of  neAv  comers  and  by 
appointment  bring  them  to  the  church  service  on  the  first  Sunday.  Then 
comes  the  further  and  equally  important  task  of  enrolling  the  student  in 
a  Bible  class,  unless  this  has  been  done  by  mail,  a  young  people’s  society 
and  perhaps  as  an  affiliate  member  of  the  local  church.  Different  methods 
will  obtain  here  in  different  communities  but  no  one  will  dispute  the  claim 
that  the  work  must  be  done  as  early  as  possible. 

At  certain  universities,  a  comprehensive  plan  including  all  Bible  courses 
is  made  and  a  canvass  conducted,  usually  by  the  Christian  Association,  for 
the  courses  whether  given  by  the  Association  or  the  churches.  This  work 
done  early  and  thoroughly  will  give  Bible  study  a  prominence  and  impetus 
that  will  help  largely  in  overcoming  the  usual  obstacles  encountered  by 
these  voluntary  courses. 

A  reception  by  the  congregation,  perhaps  arranged  for  by  an  auxiliary 
society,  will  help  to  make  acquaintances  quickly  and  if  the  older  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  church  are  there,  as  they  should  be,  it  will  open  the  way  for 
invitations  to  their  homes.  Not  enough  homes  are  opened  to  the  student. 
It  is  a  feature  of  service  that  a  good  social  engineer  will  use  to  superior 
advantage. 

A  worker  will  not  fail  in  these  opening  weeks  to  pick  the  natural 
leaders  and  give  them  special  attention.  Key  men  should  be  selected  and 
stationed  but  not  over  burdened  with  responsibilities. 

Whatever  the  method  of  procedure,  be  assured  that  it  is  not  as  im¬ 
portant  as  the  earlier  application  of  it.  There  is  scarcely  a  phase  of  the 
entire  year’s  activity  that  can  be  begun  after  the  first  three  or  four 
weeks  with  the  expectation  of  maximum  results.  If  what  the  Christian 
worker  has  to  offer  is  of  any  importance  at  all,  then  it  is  of  sufficient 
account  to  be  presented  promptly,  vigorously  and  adequately  to  the  new 
student  with  the  full  conviction  that  nothing  he  can  get  in  his  entire 
course  carries  with  it  greater  and  more  enduring  benefits. 

DENOMINATIONAL  POLICIES  FOR  WORK  AMONG  STATE 

UNIVERSITY  STUDENTS 

The  Rev.  Dean  R.  Leland,  Presbyterian  University  Pastor, 

University  of  Nebraska. 

I  notice  that  above  the  platform  of  the  assembly  hall  of  this  university 
there  is  inscribed  on  the  wall  a  quotation  from  the  famous  ordinance  of 
1787,  declaring  that  “Religion,  morality  and  knowledge  being  necessary  to 
good  government  and  the  happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and  the  means  of 
education  shall  forever  be  encouraged.”  Religion  has  always  been  recog¬ 
nized  as  a  necessary  part  of  education  in  American  colleges  and  is  therefor(‘ 
consistent  with  the  American  plan  of  separation  of  church  and  state. 
When  the  state  supported  institutions  were  established,  official  and  authori- 


51 


tative  supervision  of  the  religious  life  of  students  could  not  be  provided 
It  was  expected,  however,  that  the  church  would  supplement  the  work  of 
the  university  and  supply  this  necessary  part  in  true  education  and  life. 

The  official  seal  of  the  University  of  Indiana  is  an  open  Bible,  that  of 
the  University  of  Kansas  is  a  figure  of  Moses  before  the  burning  bush  with 
the  Latin  inscription,  “I  will  see  this  great  sight  why  the  bush  is  not 
burned.’’  It  is  said  that  a  home  missionary  suggested  the  plan  of  the 
University  of  Michigan.  The  first  president.  Dr.  Tappan,  cherished  the 
hope  that  the  denominations  might  establish  their  divinity  schools  at  Ann 
Arbor  and  the  second  president,  a  religious  leader  in  his  day,  became  a 
Bishop  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Communion.  When  we  consider  this 
early  recognition  of  religion,  that  church  leaders  were  identified  with  the 
first  state  universities  and  that  the  students  in  these  institutions  came  from 
the  same  constituency  as  those  who  attended  the  church  colleges,  it  seems 
strange  to  us  now  that  there  ever  should  have  been  a  misunderstanding 
of  the  plan  of  secular  education,  and  that  church  and  university  should 
have  assumed  an  attitude  of  indifference,  sometimes  of  suspicion,  and 
occasionally  of  antagonism.  Finally,  university  authorities  found  themselves 
overwhelmed  with  the  problem  of  the  individual  training  of  large  student 
bodies  and  the  need  of  the  guidance  and  the  restraint  and  the  ideals  of 
religious  life  was  keenly  felt  and  so  the  call  went  out  to  the  church  to 
help  in  this  cooperative  work  of  supplying  the  religious  needs  of  state 
university  students. 

As  early  as  1884  two  or  three  of  the  denominations  had  established 
guild  halls  and  church  dormitories  in  three  or  four  institutions.  The 
Church  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  through  the  woman’s  mission  board  had 
inaugurated  a  plan  of  Bible  chairs  for  Bible  study.  In  1896,  some  one 
made  a  religious  census  of  the  larger  state  universities  and  the  remarkable 
growth  of  these  institutions  began  to  be  appreciated.  The  church  was 
somewhat  startled  to  find  such  large  representation  of  the  respective  de¬ 
nominations  in  the  student  body.  The  Methodists  were  amazed  to  find 
that  there  were  enough  students  affiliated  with  their  church  in  sixteen  of 
the  leading  universities  to  make  nine  universities  the  size  of  Wesleyan  at 
Middletown,  Conn.,  and  the  Presbyterians  woke  up  to  the  fact  that  there 
were  as  many  students  from  Presbyterian  homes  in  seventeen  universities 
as  were  found  in  the  total  enrollment  of  the  thirty-seven  Presbyterian  col¬ 
leges  of  the  whole  land.  Eealizing  the  situation  with  growing  sympathy 
for  each  other,  church  and  university  gradually  approached  each  other. 
Today,  the  experimental  stage  is  passed.  With  mutual  understanding,  the 
denominations  are  now  gradually  developing  a  settled  policy  and  the 
methods  of  accomplishing  the  task  are  becoming  clearer  and  clearer  through 
success  and  failure. 

I  think  it  would  be  well  for  me  at  this  point  to  give  a  summary  of  the 
situation  as  it  now  stands  and  then  describe,  as  well  as  I  can,  the  definite 
policy  of  two  or  three  of  the  denominations  that  seem  to  be  working  toward 
a  definite  goal.  It  is  difficult  to  classify  various  plans,  for  we  have  a 
dozen  different  denominations  in  a  score  of  universities  working  throvigh 


52 


many  agencies — the  local  chuich,  endowed  lectureships,  Bible  chairs, 
parish  houses,  guild  halls,  church  dormitories  university  pastors,  here  and 
there  an  affiliated  church  college  or  theological  seminary.  In  all  this 
variety,  the  many  little  problems  of  adjustment  are  being  patiently  solved 
by  those  in  the  local  centers  who  best  understand  the  situation  and  the 
national  bodies,  with  a  wider  outlook  are  trying  to  direct  the  work  along 
broad  lines.  If,  at  the  beginning,  the  denominations  had  misgivings  as  to 
the  wisdom  of  entering  this  inviting  field,  now  the  church  knows  that  in 
so  large  a  field  there  is  work  for  all,  and  she  feels  that  she  is  fulfilling  a 
great  responsibility,  and  that  the  denomination  is  the  most  effective  approach 
to  the  student  body  and  the  best  agency  for  supplying  the  religious  needs 
of  the  students.  The  denominations  have  reached  the  conviction  that  the 
religious  element  in  education  and  university  life,  which  the  state  cannot 
directly  supply,  may  be  best  fostered  by  the  cooperating  church. 

With  this  general  statement  let  us  now  outline  the  policy  of  two  or  three 
of  the  denominations. 

The  policy  of  the  Unitarian  church  may  be  understood  by  a  study  of 
the  recent  reports  of  Mr.  Foot,  secretary  of  the  department  of  Education 
of  the  American  Unitarian  Association.  The  Unitarians  were  among  the 
pioneers  in  this  field,  early  realizing  the  importance  of  the  college  town  as 
a  strategic  center  of  influence.  They  were  the  first  to  plant  new  churches 
in  the  university  towns  because  university  centers  and  so  church  extension 
has  been  much  encouraged  through  a  realization  of  the  needs  of  these 
centers.  This  church  looks  forward  to  the  planting  of  new  churches  in 
college  towns  wherever  a  nucleus  is  found  sufficient  for  the  undertaking. 
The  most  significant  innovation  has  been  the  enlistment  for  the  past  year 
of  eleven  student  assistants  in  the  churches  at  Ann  Arbor,  Iowa  City, 
Ithaca,  Lawrence,  Lincoln,  Madison  and  Urbana.  The  success  and  value 
of  this  plan  was  tested  first  in  the  University  of  Illinois.  In  accordance 
with  the  spirit  of  the  Unitarian  church,  lectureships  are  regarded  as  an 
important  adjunct  and  as  soon  as  financial  arrangements  can  be  made, 
the  institutional  methods  which  are  of  value  in  this  field  will  no  doubt  be 
encouraged. 

The  Church  of  the  Disciples  several  years  ago  determined  that  the 
teaching  function  in  this  work  should  be  emphasized.  The  Bible  Colleges 
affiliated  with  the  Universities  of  Missouri,  and  California,  and  Texas  are 
illustrations  of  this  plan.  By  this  method  the  church  seeks  to  train  young 
men  and  women  for  the  ministry  and  the  mission  field  and  at  the  same  time 
afford  opportunity  for  all  the  students  of  a  university  belonging  to  this 
denomination  to  study  the  Bible.  The  Church  of  the  Disciples  has  but  fe\r 
church  colleges  and  this  plan  has  doubtless  supplied  a  real  need.  Bible 
chairs  have  been  established  in  other  Universities.  The  woman ’s  mission 
board  was  given  the  responsibility  of  meeting  the  financial  needs  of  the 
Bible  chair.  There  are  now  five  institutions  in  which  such  w'ork  has  been 
inaugurated. 

I  have  been  much  interested  in  the  manner  in  vdiicli  the  Lutheran  church 
has  approached  the  problem  of  supplying  the  religious  needs  of  students 


53 


affiliated  with  this  denomination.  From  the  traditions  of  the  Lutheran 
ehurch  it  might  be  expected  that  they  would  become  interested  in  a  work 
of  religious  education  of  young  men  and  young  women.  They  must  hear 
a  familiar  voice  urging  them  on.  Martin  Luther  once  expressed  a  senti- 
jnent  which  sounds  very  modern.  ‘^Therefore,  I  beg  of  you  all,’^  said  he, 

‘  ‘  in  the  name  of  God  and  our  neglected  youth  not  to  think  of  this  subject 
lightly  as  do  many  who  do  not  see  what  the  Prince  of  this  world  intends. 
For  the  right  instruction  of  youth  is  a  matter  in  which  Christ  and  all  the 
world  are  concerned”.  In  the  spring  of  1907,  the  Lutheran  Home  Mission 
Board  called  Mr.  Howard  E.  Gold  to  take  charge  of  the  work  at  Madison, 
with  special  instructions  to  study  problems  at  the  University  of  Wisconsin. 
In  1909,  the  Synod  of  the  Northwest  appointed  a  committee  to  promote 
this  work  at  the  same  time  memorializing  the  national  body,  the  General 
Council,  to  immediately  take  up  the  matter  and  this  council  through  a 
committee  is  now  conducting  the  work  and  continuing  a  study  of  the  field 
at  Minneapolis  and  Madison. 

It  has  been  impossible  for  me  to  gather  full  information  in  regard  to  the 
policy  of  the  Episcopal  church.  We  know  however  that  they  approve  of 
the  guild  house  plan  with  its  lectureship  at  Ann  Arbor  and  in  three  insti¬ 
tutions,  West  Virginia,  Indiana  and  Illinois,  church  dormitories  are  con¬ 
ducted  with  a  rector  in  charge. 

The  National  body  of  the  Congregational  church  has  declared  its  hearty 
sympathy  with  this  work  but  leaves  the  matter  of  its  development  to 
those  in  the  local  centers  and  the  State  Associations. 

The  Presbyterian  church  has  been  interested  in  this  field  for  a  long 
time  and  its  interpretation  of  the  needs  of  the  state  university  student 
may  be  traced  in  the  various  deliverances  of  the  General  Assembly.  Infor¬ 
mation  about  the  universities  had  come  to  the  General  Assembly  through 
individuals  located  in  university  towns.  Finally  the  evangelistic  commit¬ 
tee  appointed  such  men  as  Dr.  James  B.  Lee,  a  representative  of  the 
committee  and  Dr.  Buchanan  of  Wheeling,  the  seat  of  the  university  of 
West  Virginia,  to  make  a  visitation  of  the  universities  and  to  report  what 
was  being  done.  In  1904,  the  Assembly  directed  that  the  College  Board 
should  make  university  work  a  part  of  its  regular  program.  This  Board 
held  the  commission  for  tw^o  years  but  found  it  inexpedient  to  continue 
the  work  and  in  1906  the  task  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Board  of 
Education.  Synods  in  which  this  w^ork  had  already  been  started  were 
commended  and  the  secretary  of  the  Board  was  instructed  to  visit  the 
students  of  the  state  universities  to  present  the  claims  of  the  ministry. 
Co-operation  with  the  various  synods  was  more  and  more  developed.  In 
1907,  it  was  recommended  that  the  Board  of  Education  prosecute  a  defin¬ 
ite  and  vigorous  work  for  the  supply  of  the  religious  needs  of  the  students 
and  funds  were  to  be  gathered.  A  plan  which  was  inaugurated  at  about 
this  time  has  greatly  helped  to  interest  the  church  as  a  whole  in  this  field. 
A  pre-assembly  conference  has  been  held  for  two  or  more  years,  consisting 
of  a  panoramic  exhibit  of  the  universities,  reports  from  the  university 
pastors  and  general  discussion.  This  has  helped  to  educate  the  whole 


54 


church  to  the  needs  of  the  field.  In  1909,  an  important  step  was  taken 
looking  towards  financial  support.  Doctor  Wallace  Kadcliffe,  who  was 
acquainted  with  the  Michigan  plan,  had  declared  as  early  as  1890  that  the 
only  hope  for  the  permanency  of  this  work  is  endowment  and  experience 
has  proven  the  wisdom  of  his  statement.  For  the  past  three  years  the 
Board  of  Education  has  encouraged  the  raising  of  endowment,  the  Board 
of  Education  being  the  trustee  of  such  funds  wherever  mutually  agreeable 
to  the  Synod  and  the  Board.  In  March,  1910,  a  distinct  department  of  the 
Board  of  Education  was  organized,  called  the  Department  of  University 
Work.  Dr.  Eichard  C.  Hughes  was  appointed  secretary  to  direct  and  carry 
out  the  whole  plan.  Since  Dr,  Hughes’  appointment,  important  matters  of 
policy  have  been  settled.  One  touching  financial  support  and  the  other  re 
lating  to  the  best  method.  I  can  do  no  better  than  quote  the  resolutions 
adopted.  The  progress  of  the  work  requires  a  policy  which  will  make  it 
possible  to  accomplish  results  from  time  to  time  more  speedily  and  effectively 
in  the  reaching  of  the  university  centers  demanding  prompt  attention.  The 
present  system  of  requiring  Synods  to  finance  from  two-thirds  to  three- 
fourths  of  the  expense  of  the  University  work  before  this  Board  will  appro¬ 
priate  its  quota  is  found  to  be  inadequate  to  meet  conditions  as  they  arise 
in  certain  Synods. 

THEREFORE  BE  IT  RESOLVED,  That  the  Board  adopt  the  following 
policy,  that  the  Board  guarantee  the  salary  of  the  University  Pastor  and 
the  incidental  expenses  of  the  work  at  the  university  within  the  bounds  of 
that  Synod,  whole  or  in  part,  as  the  situation  may  require,  and  that  the 
Department  of  University  Work  shall  endeavor  to  secure  from  the  churches 
and  individuals,  within  the  bounds  of  the  Synods  where  this  policy  is  put 
into  operation,  such  extra  offerings  as  shall  recoup  the  board  for  the 
advance  appropriations  authorized  above. 

The  effect  of  this  plan  has  been  of  great  help  in  the  extension  of  the 
work  so  that  at  the  present  time  there  are  University  Pastors  in  fifteen 
universities. 

The  other  declaration  of  the  Board  is  an  emphasis  for  method.  Looking 
over  the  field  it  was  found  that  there  was  a  great  variety  of  agencies  used 
and  the  Board  while  recognizing  the  need  of  pursuing  different  policies 
based  upon  local  conditions  at  each  university  center,  aflirms  its  unalter¬ 
able  conviction  that  the  personal  tcorJc  of  the  university  pastor  with  the 
individual  students  is  fundamental  in  this  work,  and  that  this  pastoral 
care,  leading  up  to  contact  with  the  local  church,  is  absolutely  necessary 
to  the  success  of  the  movement  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  student  body. 
There  is  no  discrimination  here  between  methods  that  have  been  found  by 
experience  to  be  of  value,  but  as  Dr,  Cochran  once  said,  “Let  us  not  be  so 
particular  about  the  way  in  which  the  Avork  is  done  as  the  spirit  that  lies 
behind  it.  The  right  spirit  will  determine  the  true  method  whether  it  be 
institutional  or  semi-academic  or  whether  the  whole  Avork  is  embodied  in 
one  man.  The  great  fact  must  never  be  lost  sight  of  that  a  shepherd  is 
following  his  sheep.  The  important  thing  is  that  some  one  in  some  Avay, 
with  an  understanding  of  the  university  spirit  and  love  for  the  young  and 


55 


eager  heart,  is  giving  bis  days  and  nights  to  the  task  of  keeping  true  and 
clean  and  serviceable  the  educated  leadership  of  the  new  day.  ”  Or  as  Nolan 
E.  Best  has  expressed  it,  speaking  of  the  distinction  between  the  Y.  M.  C. 
A.  work,  which  he  characterizes  as  the  big  brother  idea  and  the  work  of  the 
church.  ^  ‘  The  church,  ’  ’  said  he,  ‘  ‘  is  the  evidence  of  parental  faithfulness  and 
devotion.  It  is  the  father  and  mother  idea  of  Christian  ’vvork.  ’  ’ 

I  had  hoped  to  have  time  to  gather  up  the  points  of  general  agreement 
among  the  churches  and  to  indicate  in  what  ways  we  are  all  moving  toward 
the  same  objective.  It  is  evident  that  this  work  is  the  expression  of  the 
new  spirit  of  the  church.  The  local  centers  co-operating  with  the  national 
bodies,  each  denomination  caring  for  its  own  but  anxious  also  that  the 
church  as  a  united  body  shall  perform  its  whole  duty  m  satisfying  the 
religious  needs  of  the  University  centres.  The  church  wants  to  make  this 
a  broad  work,  a  patriotic  ivork,  a  work  of  true  education. 

We  all  regard  the  pulpit  of  the  local  church  as  most  important  and  be¬ 
lieve  that  the  local  church  of  each  denomination  at  the  university  center  has 
a  special  function  acting  for  the  various  churches  of  the  denomination  where 
they  cannot  act  for  themselves. 

Important  advances  are  yet  to  be  made  along  the  line  of  the  teaching 
function.  The  Bible  colleges  of  the  Christian  church,  Wesley  College  at 
North  Dakota,  the  school  of  religion  at  Ann  Arbor,  the  Iowa  plan  of  uni¬ 
versity  credits,  indicate  the  possibilities  of  the  academic  side  of  our  work. 
Prof.  Starbuck’s  investigations  as  reported  in  this  conference  indicate  the 
trend  of  the  universities  themselves  in  this  matter.  Prof.  Kelsey  of  Ann 
Arbor  in  a  recent  article  in  ‘‘The  Continent’^  suggests  a  new  advance. 
He  declares  that  while  ‘  ‘  each  denomination  may  make  provision  for  the 
pastoral  care  of  its  own,  such  provision  does  not  afford  a  method  of  reach¬ 
ing  as  a  w^hole  the  enormous  student  body,  churched  and  unchurched,  of 
our  state  institutions.  The  goal  will  not  be  reached  until  some  way  is 
found  to  bring  the  preachers  of  greatest  power  from  time  to  time  into 
immediate  contact  with  the  general  body  of  students,  gathered  without 
regard  to  denominational  affiliations  to  hear  the  message.  Will  not  some 
great-hearted  man  or  w^oman  establish  a  foundation,  like  the  noble  Sage 
foundation  for  humanitarian  work,  or  the  great  Carnegie  foundation  for 
the  advancement  of  teaching,  wdiich  shall  have  as  its  sole  function  the 
bringing  of  the  most  pow^erful  interpreters  of  spiritual  truth  face  to  face 
with  the  vast  throngs  of  students  in  state  institutions!’’  And  then  Doctor 
Kelsey  asks  the  question,  “Is  this  merely  a  dream?’’  I  feel  that  this 
conference  is  able  to  answer  this  question  in  part.  At  the  University  of 
AVisconsin  a  co-operative  plan  is  shared  in  by  the  University  Pastors’ 
Association  and  the  president  and  regents  of  the  university,  under  which, 
at  intervals  each  year,  three  or  four  men  of  national  eminence  in  religious 
work  are  invited  officially  to  the  university  to  address  the  whole  university 
at  convocation.  The  Biblical  Institute  held  at  the  University  of  Kansas 
also  shows  what  may  be  done  even  under  present  conditions.  Several  days 
together  each  year  are  set  apart  for  special  attention  to  Biblical  and 
religious  topics.  University  professors,  during  these  days,  in  their  regu- 


56 


lar  courses,  touch  in  their  lectures  points  of  religious  significance.  Eminent 
religious  leaders  are  guests  of  the  university  and  address  the  whole  body 
of  students  in  mass  meetings.  And  so  Professor  Kelsey  is  not  a  dreamer 
but  a  prophet,  and  we  may  not  fully  understand  what  may  be  the  future 
development  of  the  work  we  represent. 

Meantime  we  must  strive  to  show  ourselves  approved  unto  God,  This  we 
know,  that  faithful,  wise,  pastoral  care  has  kept  hundreds  of  students 
true  to  their  faith  and  sent  them  out  into  the  world  committed  to  Chris¬ 
tian  service.  Many  have  decided  for  the  ministry,  for  mission  work,  and 
for  Christian  leadership  as  laymen.  The  spiritual  victories  have  been 
many,  and  the  results  have  far  surpassed  the  most  sanguine  expectations. 
The  denominations  are  measuring  the  great  value  of  these  significant 
results.  As  our  work  widens  in  scope  so  will  the  policy  of  the  churches 
broaden,  and  this  movement  in  which  we  have  a  part  will  be  regarded  in 
time  as  one  of  the  most  important  educational  and  religious  movements 
of  the  new  century. 

SHOULD  THE  UNIVERSITY  PASTOR  ASSEMBLE  HIS  STUDENTS? 

WHY?  WHERE? 

Ed\vard  W.  Blakeman,  Methodist  Episcopal  University  Pastor  at 
The  University  of  Wisconsin. — Madison, 

One  of  the  distinct  purposes  of  this  movement  is  to  reclaim  these  centers 
for  organized  Christianity.  This  purpose  can  be  accomplished  only  as  a 
church  loyalty  is  developed  in  the  university  community.  The  state  school 
must  by  its  foundation,  according  to  some,  assume  that  education  can  be 
complete  with  religion  omitted  and  religious  organizations  ignored.  The 
church  worker  at  a  state  university  is  at  once  confronted  with  the  problem 
of  lifting  before  the  university  community  the  vital  piety  of  an  historic 
denomination. 

In  the  doing  of  this  task  we  need  to  hold  carefully  to  one  fundamental 
distinction.  The  university  as  a  “community’’  is  one  thing  and  the 
university  as  an  “institution”  is  another.  The  state  owms  and  operates 
the  institution.  From  this,  we,  as  religious  bodies,  are  excluded.  The 
community  of  students  and  teachers  on  the  other  hand  is  a  community 
of  3000  or  4000  souls.  As  such  the  field  is  an  open  subject  of  our  mis- 
sionaiy  propaganda.  In  this  community  the  city  has  governmental  rights, 
the  politics  of  the  land  has  party  or  political  right,  and  the  church  of  Jesus 
Christ  a  spiritual  right.  From  the  very  nature  of  the  case  these  indi¬ 
viduals  are  ours  to  evangelize, — to  church,  to  organize  denominationally. 

It  is  because  of  this  purpose  and  in  the  freedom  wdiich  follows  in  the 
wake  of  this  fundamental  distinction  that  I  claim  that  the  church  w'orker 
should  assemble  his  students.  His  w^ork  will  be  efficient  in  the  purpose 
to  which  I  have  confined  our  thought  in  exact  proportion  to  the  group 
loyalty  developed.  Group  loyalty  comes  of  group  consciousness.  Group 
consciousness  springs  from  contact  of  man  wdth  man.  It  is  only  as  men 
rub  elbows  in  a  common  cause, —  lift  together  a  common  burden,  that 


57 


they  understand  social  diflSiCulties  or  appreciate  a  moral  task.  Within  the 
historic  religious  bodies  which  we  men  have  the  honor  of  representing, 
the  thousands  of  humanity  have  wrought  together  and  triumphed.  Here, 
then,  is  an  heritage  for  the  student  body  in  any  state.  Let  the  content 
of  these  great  religious  institutions  make  its  appeal  and  the  heroism 
of  spiritual  leadership  combined  with  the  intensity  of  the  critical  theol¬ 
ogian  will  lead  from  our  college  halls  other  Luthers,  other  Wesleys,  other 
Beechers,  other  Simpsons,  and  an  occasional  Philip  Brooks. 

All  through  these  conference  sessions  there  has  sounded  an  eloquent 
testimony  of  the  fact  that  those  who  toil  together,  those  who  ‘  ‘  sympathize  ’  \ 
— suffer  together, —  learn  the  social  difficulties  and  come  to  appreciate 
the  moral  task  before  us.  Here  are  thirty  men  assembled,  with  others 
to  advise.  Yonder  is  an  host  of  America’s  future  leaders,  and  we  see 
them  in  Ohio,  in  Minnesota,  south  in  Missouri,  and  yonder  on  the  Pacific 
coast  “as  sheep  having  no  shepherd.”  As  Ave  are  here  developing  a  group 
consciousness,  a  group  loyalty,  so  should  each  church  leader  at  each 
state  institution  join  the  students  under  him  to  the  church  of  his  con¬ 
nection  and  lay  upon  them  the  burdens  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  In  so 
doing  he  will  make  the  contribution  of  Congregationalism  or  of  Presbyter¬ 
ianism,  or  Methodism,  to  the  university  community,  to  the  life  of  these 
western  states. 

In  the  second  place,  the  pastor  should  assemble  his  students  because  of 
the  enthusiasm  of  numbers.  Enthusiasm  produces  winning  athletes  and 
strong  orators;  wffiy  not  capable  religious  leaders, —  preachers  and  lay¬ 
men  who  excel.  We  “mass”  for  football  because  it  gets  results.  Let 
the  Baptists  “mass”  for  the  production  of  that  element  of  contrition 
AAdiich  the  faith  has  helped  contribute  to  our  civilization.  The  athletic 
department  calls  back  graduates  to  appeal  to  the  sentiments  of  under¬ 
graduates  and  move  them  to  fill  the  bleachers  and  back  a  team.  Let  us 
commend  Methodism  for  its  emotional  appeal  in  the  student  world  if  it 
can  arouse  young  men  from  apathy  and  spiritual  sloth. 

Few  people  know  that  there  are  between  500  and  1000  Congregational- 
ists;  500  and  1000  Presbyterians;  500  and  1000  Methodists;  500  and 
1000  Disciples  of  Christ;  500  and  1000  Episcopalians;  in  each  of  our 
state  schools.  The  student,  I  have  found,  is  much  encouraged  when  he 
comes  to  knoAv  that  he  marches  shoulder  to  shoulder  wdth  one-tenth  of 
the  student  body  religiously.  Let  him  sit  together  today  Avith  500  others 
who  haA'e  had  the  same  strict  religious  discipline  as  he, —  Avho  have  been 
Sunday-Schooled  as  he  has, —  wffio  haA^e  been  singing  the  same  sacred 
hymns  Sunday  after  Sunday,  and  almost  hearing  the  same  sermons  from 
the  same  preacher, —  and  he  goes  forth  tomorrow  on  a  higher  moral 
plane;  able  to  make  a  far  better  fight  for  a  character  than  he  ever  made 
before. 

Again,  the  minister  is  to  look  upon  his  congregation  as  the  machinery 
by  Avhich  he  as  the  operator  is  to  create  followers  of  Christ,  if  I  may  use 
such  an  illustration.  It  is  not  the  business  of  the  university  pastor  to  teach 
his  own  and  then  draAv  his  pay.  He  is  placed  oAxr  the  membership  to 


58 


increase  it.  He  cannot  direct  the  energies  of  six  or  seven  hundre<l  people 
to  this  purpose  unless  he  assembles  them, —  gains  their  confidence,  and  is 
accepted  as  their  leader  for  certain  definite  and  specific  ends.  Here  is 
the  power  of  the  pulpit.  The  pastor,  daily  among  his  people,  within  and 
without  his  membership,  can  stand  forth  upon  Sunday  and  apply  the 
teachings  of  the  Scriptures  to  the  experiences  and  the  problems  con¬ 
fronting  the  community.  Without  this  possibility,  the  university  pastorate 
is  denied  one  of  its  greatest  assets.  With  it,  the  office  strikes  the  strategic 
point  of  our  civilization,  and  the  coming  men  of  our  society  are  reached 
by  the  voices  of  God  which  echo  and  reecho  throughout  the  Bible  and  are 
heard  in  all  life. 

You  ask  then,  “Where  should  the  students  be  assembled'?”  I  answer, 
‘  ‘  at  the  most  advantageous  spot  in  the  quarter.  ’  ’  It  may  be  the  local 
church ;  it  may  be  a  rented  hall,  or  a  college  building.  It  must  be 
properly  located.  That,  to  my  mind,  is  the  first  and  all-important  con¬ 
sideration. 

We  dare  not  dogmatize  on  this  point.  After  studying  carefully  the 
condition  at  five  university  centers  it  becomes  apparent  that  we  cannot 
generalize.  Four  separate  issues  are  involved  however: — 

First.  The  location  of  the  local  church. 

Second.  The  character  of  that  church.  Is  it  sympathetic —  has  it  room? 

Third.  Would  the  city  and  the  university  adherents  be  able  to  maintain 
two  churches? 

Fourth.  Is  it  wise  to  divorce  “town”  and  “gown”  in  the  place  of 
worship  ? 

At  Minneapolis  the  city  churches  are  near.  Let  them  expand  to  ac¬ 
commodate  the  students,  each  group  assembling  at  the  church  of  its  con¬ 
nection.  At  Michigan  the  Ann  Arbor  churches  are  well  situated  and  Guild 
Halls  are  thus  practicable  in  connection  with  these  churches.  At  Illinois 
and  Texas,  where  the  largest  investments  have  been  made,  separate  churches 
much  loved  by  the  entire  student  body  are  training  students  for  layman- 
ship  and  getting  for  the  churches  and  the  students  remarkable  spiritual 
results. 

If,  as  at  Madison,  the  churches  are  far  removed  and  a  bit  indifferent  to 
the  problems  of  student  life,  it  devolves  upon  the  university  pastor  to  erect 
near  the  school  a  meeting  place.  The  while  this  is  being  done,  he  does 
well, —  according  to  the  opinion  of  this  and  previous  conferences, —  to 
work  in  conjunction  with  the  local  church,  acting  as  an  associate  pastor. 

In  conclusion,  let  us  hold  firmly  in  mind  that  the  purpose  involved  is 
to  bring  the  vital  piety  of  each  historic  religious  body  in  its  own  identity 
to  bear  upon  the  total  life  of  the  university  community.  Let  each  as¬ 
sembly  of  students  and  every  institution  erected  conform  to  this  purpose, 
and  let  us  continue  insistent  and  persistent  in  our  effort  to  sweeten,  to 
strengthen,  to  ennoble  American  life  by  appropriating  today  and  here  the 
heart  experiences  of  humanity  as  recorded  Godward  in  these  denominations. 


59 


FINANCING  THE  WORK  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  PASTOR. 

The  Rev.  Martin  E.  Anderson,  Presbyterian  University  Pastor, 

University  of  Illinois. 

The  outstanding  need  as  I  see  it  in  the  university  pastor  movement  is 
that  of  stability.  It  lacks  of  permanency.  There  are  those  who  believe 
that  the  movement  is  but  a  passing  cloud  in  the  university  firmament. 
They  predict  its  speedy  and  sure  passage  into  sweet  oblivion.  I  do  not 
share  their  pessimism.  I  believe  the  men  in  the  movement  are  too  far- 
seeing  to  fail  to  take  the  steps  which  will  insure  permanency.  In  the 
few  minutes  allotted  to  me,  therefore,  I  wish  to  make  a  plea  for  perman¬ 
ency. 

There  is  no  need  that  I  should  urge  the  permanent  retention  of  the 
university.  All  can  see  that  our  state  universities  are  here  to  stay.  I 
am  not  so  familiar  with  the  condition  at  Iowa,  but  in  Illinois  the  legis¬ 
lature  has  surely  taken  steps  to  insure  the  permanency  of  its  sole  insti¬ 
tution  of  higher  learning.  As  you  are  doubtless  aware,  provision  was 
made  at  the  last  session  of  the  legislature  for  a  mill  tax,  which  will  give 
the  university  an  income  approximating  $3,000,000.00  annually.  Computing 
this  at  the  rate  of  4  per  cent,  it  is  the  equivalent  of  an  endowment  fund 
of  $75,000,000.  This  permits  us  to  predict  a  future  for  the  University  of 
Illinois.  I  doubt  not  but  that  the  other  state  universities  represented 
liere  are  on  as  permanent  a  financial  basis  as  the  one  referred  to  or  wiU 
soon  be  in  a  similar  position  of  prosperity.  There  is  no  question  then 
but  that  our  fields  for  service  will  always  remain. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  say  anything  about  the  importance  of  this  field. 
Doctor  Carrier,  president  of  Waukesha  College,  calls  it  the  greatest  home 
mission  field  in  this  country  and  some  of  us  heard  Mr,  John  E.  Mott, 
doubtless  the  greatest  living  authority  on  fields  for  Christian  service,  a 
man  who  has  visited  thousands  of  fields  all  over  the  world,  say,  ‘^Nowhere 
is  there  a  larger  field  for  Christian  work  than  at  the  state  universities.^^ 
When  a  man  like  Mr.  Mott  with  his  worldwide  vision  makes  the  statement 
like  the  one  quoted,  it  should  convince  us  that  the  fields  in  which  we  serve 
are  worthy  of  the  best  efforts  of  the  biggest  men.  There  can  be  little 
or  no  question  in  the  minds  of  all  fairminded  people  but  that  the  university 
pastor  is  helping  very  materially  to  solve  the  perplexing  religious  prob¬ 
lem  at  the  state  university.  He  has  proved  his  worth.  Wherever  he  has 
been  permitted  to  serve  any  reasonable  period  of  time,  testimonials  can 
be  produced  which  will  show  that  his  work  has  been  most  effective.  The 
experimental  period  in  our  work  has  passed.  The  system  has  been  tried 
and  found  effective.  Some  of  you  will  remember  the  words  of  Dr.  Van 
Hise,  president  of  Wisconsin  University,  in  this  direction.  I  quote  him. 
‘^It  seems  to  me  that  in  having  each  church  look  out  for  its  own,  as  is 
being  done  here,  each  group  of  students  is  being  looked  out  for  by  those 
who  are  in  sympathy  with  their  ideas,  beliefs,  and  faith  in  a  manner  best 
adapted  to  each  individual  group.  In  having  the  various  groups  and  in 
having  a  man  giving  his  attention  to  each  group  there  is  also  the  stimu- 


60 


lus  and  personal  relationship  which  would  not  be  possible,  under  another 
arrangement,  and  therefore  T  conclude,^’  said  Pres.  Van  Hise,  “that  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  state  of  Wisconsin  and  the  state  university  are  to 
be  congratulated  because  they  could  not  take  u])  the  work  of  religious  in¬ 
struction  officially.  It  has  been  provided  for  better  than  we  could  have 
provided  for  it.” 

I  take  it  therefore  that  there  is  no  question  in  the  minds  of  any  present, 
first,  that  the  fields  in  which  we  work  will  always  remain.  Second,  that 
this  field  is  big  enough  to  engage  the  earnest  attention  of  the  most 
worthy.  Third,  that  the  university  pastor  is  doing  a  most  valuable  work 
on  this  field  and  should  be  retained.  Hence  the  plea  for  permanency. 

There  are  two  things  which  will  serve  to  temporize  this  agency.  One 
is,  inadequate  men  for  the  field,  the  other  is,  inadequate  support  and 
equipment  for  these  men. 

The  danger  is  always  present  of  putting  a  small  man  in  a  big  job. 
Nothing  will  kill  the  job  as  quickly  as  a  man  beneath  it.  Our  jobs  are 
too  big  for  small  men.  The  position  merits  and  demands  men  of  vision, 
men  of  capacity,  broadminded  men,  men  who  abhor  sectarianism,  and  are 
prudent  enough  to  say  the  least  about  denominationalism,  men  with  strong 
personalities,  sympathetic  natures,  youthful  spirits,  able  to  think,  to  feel, 
to  act  with  the  students,  whom  they  serve.  No  man  is  too  big  for  our 
jobs.  No  one  of  us  is  big  enough  for  the  position  we  hold  and  the  strongest 
)man  is  none  too  strong  for  a  field  like  ours.  Such  a  man  must  have 
adequate  support. 

The  salary  of  the  student  pastor  should  be  at  least  equal  to  that  of  the 
full  professor  in  the  university  where  he  serves.  He  should  be  able  to 
live  on  a  par  with  the  average  professor.  His  income  should  be  sufficient 
to  enable  him  to  keep  abreast  with  the  times  in  his  reading,  and  in  his 
travels.  He  should  be  enabled  to  entertain  on  a  large  scale,  and  on  as 
high  a  scale  as  any  of  the  university  professors.  This  salary  should  not 
only  be  sufficient  but  it  should  be  paid  promptly  at  a  specified  time.  This 
is  not  the  condition  which  exists  at  present  in  all  our  university  centers. 
I  heard  the  other  day  of  a  university  pastor,  a  man  with  a  family,  a  man 
who  is  doing  a  real  work,  who  not  only  fails  to  receive  an  adequate  salary, 
but  he  himself  told  me  that  his  committee  is  not  always  able  to  pay 
him  all  of  the  salary  which  they  promised  him,  and  he  is  compelled  to 
work  along  commercial  lines  to  earn  enough  to  make  ends  meet.  I  know 
of  another  university  pastor  who  has  to  do  outside  preaching  on  Sundays 
to  make  enough  money  to  enable  him  to  continue  in  his  work.  These 
things,  brethren,  ought  not  to  be.  Our  movement  will  surely  die  and  die 
speedily  unless  some  provision  is  made  for  the  support  of  the  university 
pastor  which  will  be  reliable.  The  university  pastor,  who  has  responsi¬ 
bilities  toward  his  family  to  discharge  cannot  be  expected  to  work  with 
freedom  unless  he  knows  that  there  is  sufficient  money  in  the  treasury  to 
pay  his  salary  and  necessary  expenses  from  year  to  year.  There  is  nothing 
which  puts  the  damper  upon  the  ardor  of  a  man  quite  as  much  as  a 
deficit  in  the  treasury.  A  school  boy  was  once  asked  to  define  a  deficit, 


61 


said  he,  ‘  ‘  a  deficit  is  what  you  have  got  when  you  have  got  less  than 
when  you  had  notliing.  ’  ’  It  is  a  pretty  good  definition  of  the  work,  it 
strikes  me.  The  fear  of  a  deficit  in  the  treasury,  perhaps  more  than  any 
other  one  thing  has  kept  strong  men  from  entering  our  field,  and  the 
presence  of  a  deficit  in  many  instances  has  driven  men  from  the  field. 

At  present  the  university  pastors  are  supported  very  largely  by  the 
contributions  of  the  local  church  or  the  churches  of  the  state.  In  some 
cases,  partial  support  comes  from  the  church  boards.  This  method,  as  it 
strikes  me,  is  entirely  inadequate  and  does  not  insure  permanency.  No 
university  pastor  ought  to  be  willing  to  depend  on  boards  and  church 
collections  for  his  support.  They  are  altogether  too  fluctuating.  You  have 
the  element  of  human  nature  to  contend  with.  It  takes  too  much  of  one’s 
energy  and  time  to  speak  at  conferences,  in  churches,  in  committee  meet¬ 
ings,  etc.,  during  the  year,  and  yet  this  must  be  done  if  the  money  is  to  be 
forth-coming.  It  is  the  policy  of  some  of  the  church  boards  to  prevent  their 
university  pastors  from  doing  any  financial  work.  This  is  an  ideal  policy, 
provided  it  works,  but  my  opinion  is  that  it  will  not  wmrk.  The  only  solution, 
as  I  see  it,  for  the  problem  of  permanency  in  the  university  pastor  move¬ 
ment,  is  an  adequate  endowment  for  every  movement. 

I  suppose  my  position  on  the  program  at  this  point  is  due  to  our  experi¬ 
ence  at  Illinois.  When  I  accepted  the  position  of  university  pastor  for  the 
Presbyterian  church  in  May,  1909,  I  required  the  committee  to  specify  in 
the  call  that  I  w^as  not  to  be  responsible  for  any  financial  work,  except  as  I 
might  be  wdlling,  from  time  to  time,  to  advise  with  the  committee.  I  wanted 
to  be  free  to  spend  all  my  time  with  the  students.  Part  of  the  salary  of  the 
university  pastor  was  then  paid  by  the  Board  of  Education,  the  rest  came 
from  the  different  churches  of  the  state.  While  pay  day  was  not  as  regular 
as  it  might  have  been,  we  were  fortunate  enough  to  be  able  to  meet  our 
obligations,  but  there  was  so  much  uncertainty  about  our  ability  to  do  this 
that  the  arrangement  was  hardly  satisfactory.  At  that  time,  in  May,  1909, 
the  funds  for  current  expenses  were  low.  We  had  no  property  and  only 
two  conditional  promises  which  it  seemed  impossible  to  realize  upon  tow'ard 
an  endowment  fund.  We  had  a  conditional  offer  of  $10,000.00,  provided 
we  would  raise  $50,000.00  more  before  May  1,  1910.  This  offer  had  been 
standing  for  four  years.  My  two  predecessors,  in  the  office  of  university 
pastor,  had  refused  to  engage  extensively  in  the  financial  work.  The  man 
immediately  before  me  secured  another  offer  of  $5,000,00  on  the  same  condi¬ 
tions,  This  left  $45,0000.00  to  raise  and  less  than  a  year  in  which  to  raise 
it.  My  understanding  was  that  this  money  would  be  raised  by  the  synod’s 
committee  of  fifteen  ministers  and  elders.  It  depended  upon  them  to  do 
this.  The  time  passed  quickly.  Four  or  five  months  went  by  and  little  or 
nothing  came  in  for  the  endowment  fund.  Finally  a  prominent  churchman 
urged  me  to  lay  aside  my  aversion  to  financial  work,  leave  my  work  at  the 
university,  and  go  out  for  the  money.  I  objected  seriously  to  this,  but  was 
finally  persuaded  that  it  had  to  be  done.  The  board’s  secretaries,  Drs. 
Cochran  and  Hughes,  rendered  good  service  in  our  campaign,  bringing  in  a 
total  of  about  $2,500.  The  committee  on  Christian  education  in  charge  of 


62 


our  movement  cooperated  most  loyally,  not  too  much  praise  can  be  given  to 
our  worthy  chairman,  Dr.  \V.  S.  P.  Bryan  of  Chicago,  and  other  members  of 
that  committee.  During  the  remaining  months  of  that  year,  I  presented 
the  work  from  Sunday  to  Sunday  in  the  pulpits  of  the  state  and  can¬ 
vassed  the  different  communities  during  the  week.  In  all,  it  was  my 
privilege  to  hand  over  to  the  treasury  about  $30,000.00  towards  this 
endowment  fund,  $22,000.00  of  which  I  collected  during  the  last  eleven 
days  of  April.  On  the  first  of  May,  we  v/ere  able  to  wire  the  original  donor 
that  we  had  made  good,  and  we  received  the  $10,000.00  which  he  promised. 
During  the  same  year,  we  collected  $6500.00  more  for  grounds  and  build¬ 
ings.  We  purchased  a  most  eligible  site  in  the  heart  of  the  student  residence 
district.  The  house  was  used  as  a  Guild  Hall  for  over  a  year.  During  the 
past  summer,  this  house  was  moved  to  the  rear  of  the  lot,  a  third  story  added 
and  the  house  changed  from  cellar  to  attic,  and  now  serves  as  a  residence 
hall  for  young  women.  There  are  nineteen  rooms  in  this  house,  some  twenty 
university  women  room  there  and  twenty-four  are  boarding  there.  It  is  a 
safe  Christian  home  for  university  girls.  On  the  front  of  the  lot,  we  are 
erecting  the  University  Presbyterian  church  for  students  at  a  cost  of 
$30,000.00.  Since  February  5,  1911,  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  gather  in 
some  $34,000.00  more  for  grounds  and  buildings.  In  all,  we  have  collected 
over  $100,000.00  for  our  work,  $60,000,00  of  which  is  invested  in  stocks, 
bonds  and  mortgages,  and  bringing  in  annual  income  at  an  average  rate 
of  about  five  and  one-half  per  cent.  We  have  still  to  raise  about  $13,000.00 
and  then  we  feel  our  work  will  be  on  a  permanent  basis. 

My  reason  for  relating  this  bit  of  history  is  to  show  how  similar  our 
position  was  to  what  yours  is  now.  If  I  had  taken  the  view  that  many 
university  pastors  hold  it  may  be  that  we  would  be  no  better  situated 
financially  than  we  were  during  the  three  years  before  I  came  or  than  some 
of  you  are  at  the  present  time.  I  am  not  relating  these  facts  to  advertise 
any  special  ability  as  a  financial  agent,  I  do  not  claim  to  have  any.  My 
only  reason  for  citing  these  facts  is  to  inspire  some  of  you  to  go  and  do 
likewise.  What  one  university  pastor  has  done  other  pastors  can  do.  It 
means  much  hard  dork,  and  much  self  denial,  but  the  results  are  sure 
and  the  satisfaction  is  sweet. 

Some  of  you  may  be  interested  in  knowing  the  method  pursued  in  our 
financial  work.  My  theory  is  that  it  is  far  better  to  devote  all  of  one’s 
time  for  a  while  to  the  financial  end  of  the  work  than  part  of  one’s 
time  all  the  while.  It  is  far  better,  in  my  opinion,  to  spend  a  year  or  two  in 
financial  work  than  to  have  to  work  under  financial  worry  and  limitations 
all  the  time.  Our  method  then  is  to  leave  the  university  field  and  present  the 
cause  in  the  different  pulpits  of  the  state  on  Sundays  and  to  folloAV  tlie  pre¬ 
sentation  with  a  canvass  of  the  individual  members  of  the  church  during  the 
week.  For  a  while,  I  did  not  realize  the  importance  of  representing  the 
work  fully,  in  the  church,  before  approaching  the  members.  I  remember 
going  to  a  woman  of  means  and  presenting  the  needs  of  our  work.  She 
gave  me  a  very  respectful  hearing,  lasting  about  five  minutes,  when  she 


63 


politely  informed  me  that  she  had  no  money  to  give  me.  I  was  much  disap¬ 
pointed.  I  had  expected  great  things  from  her.  I  asked  her  pastor  to  give 

me  a  few  minutes  in  his  pulpit  on  Sunday  morning.  He  told  me  to  take  all 

the  time  I  wanted.  I  spoke  for  twenty  minutes  on  the  need  for  our  kind  of 
work  at  the  state  university.  On  the  following  day  I  called  to  see  this 
woman  again.  She  was  present  at  the  service  on  the  Sunday  preceding  and 
heard  all  I  had  to  say.  I  had  twenty  minutes  with  her  then  and  if  I  had 

failed  to  make  an  impression  it  was  all  my  fault.  I  felt  sure  that  she 

thought  more  favorably  of  our  work  now  than  she  did  on  my  former  visit. 
After  a  few  minutes,  she  informed  me  that  she  was  willing  to  give  me  a 
thousand  dollars  for  the  work  and  that  she  felt  that  our  field  was  a  needy 

field.  It  took  me  no  time  to  convince  her  that  she  ought  to  give  at  least 

two  thousand  dollars,  which  at  five  per  cent,  would  mean  $100.00  a  year  of 
her  money  going  into  this  work.  I  have  called  upon  that  woman  three  or 
four  times  since  then  and  have  secured  in  all  $10,000.00  from  her.  Had  I 
failed  to  secure  her  attention  for  twenty  minutes  at  that  morning  service  I 

am  quite  sure  that  we  would  never  have  received  a  cent  from  her  for  our 

work.  By  all  means  present  your  work  fully,  preferably  at  a  morning 
church  service,  if  you  want  to  make  a  successful  appeal. 

We  do  not  pass  subcription  blanks  at  these  church  services.  Our  experi¬ 
ence  has  proven  that  this  method  is  not  productive  of  results.  Not  long  ago, 
we  spoke  for  about  twenty-five  minutes  on  university  work  in  a  little  country 
church,  subscription  blanks  were  passed,  the  church  officers  urged  the  people 
present  to  fill  out  these  blanks  and  leave  them  before  leaving  the  church. 
The  total  received  from  this  method  at  that  service  was  $3.00.  We  were 
much  disappointed,  of  course.  As  a  result  of  Ausiting  a  number  of  those 
people  in  their  homes,  we  secured  twenty  times  as  much  as  we  had  by  the 
former  method. 

We  never  ask  for  collections,  when  presenting  this  work.  Another  experi¬ 
ence  which  may  be  of  value  to  you  in  your  canvassing  work  in  a  small 
country  church,  we  presented  the  work  fully  in  the  morning  and  gave  a 
popular  illustrated  lecture  in  the  evening.  At  the  close  of  this  service,  the 
pastor  of  the  church  urged  his  people  very  strongly  to  give  liberally  for  the 
support  of  university  work.  When  the  collection  was  counted,  we  found 
that  we  had  a  little  over  $8.00.  I  was  worn  out,  discouraged,  and  disap¬ 
pointed.  Not  satisfied  to  return  to  Champaign  with  only  $8.00,  I  asked  the 
pastor  to  give  me  the  names  of  a  few  of  his  people  and  allow  me  to  call 
upon  them.  He  gave  me  about  six  names.  All  of  them,  I  think,  had  been 
present  the  evening  before,  and  had  contributed  when  the  collection  was 
taken.  As  a  result  of  the  personal  canvass  we  made  that  morning,  we  secured 
over  $300.00,  practically  all  of  it  in  cash.  The  six  people  interviewed  gave 
about  $5.00  when  the  collection  was  taken,  and  over  $300.00  when  the  gum 
shoe  method  was  used.  There  is,  in  our  opinion,  no  other  effective  method 
than  this  same  personal,  man  to  man,  individual,  gum  shoe  method.  Do  not 
waste  time  on  anything  else.  Save  your  postage,  your  correspondence  may 
bring  a  little  but  if  you  would  spend  as  much  time  and  money  in  making 
personal  appeals,  your  results  would  be  far  greater. 


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Our  policy  is  to  strike  while  the  iron  is  hot,  we  feel  that  this  is  the  Lord ’s 
work  and  there  is  no  better  day  to  prosecute  the  Lord’s  work  than  on  the 
Lord’s  day.  We  see  as  many  as  we  can  on  Sunday  afternoon,  present  the 
work,  if  possible,  on  Sunday  morning,  call  on  the  people  Sunday  afternoon, 
preach  again  Sunday  night,  see  a  few  more  after  the  evening  service,  go 
out  early  on  Monday  morning  and  continue  until  the  field  has  been 
thoroughly  canvassed.  Not  the  easiest  kind  of  work,  I  grand  you, 
but  the  kind  of  work  that  brings  results.  Our  plan  is  to  size  a  man 
up,  and  ask  for  twice  the  amount  you  expect  to  receive,  we  find  that  it 
is  an  advantage  to  let  him  know  about  how  much  we  expect  to  receive  from 
him.  We  compliment  him  by  letting  him  know'  that  our  impression  is  that 
he  is  able  to  give  at  least  twuce  as  much  as  he  really  is  able  to  give.  We 
can ’t  always  be  sure  that  we  have  made  the  right  estimate,  we  were  agreeably 
disappointed  on  one  occasion.  I  remember  asking  a  man  for  $200.00, 
expecting  to  receive  about  $100.00.  To  my  great  surprise,  he  said,  “Make 
it  $250.00.”  I  hardly  knew  what  to  say  but  recovered  suf&ciently  to  thank 
him  and  to  ask  him  when  he  wished  to  pay  it.  “Oh,  any  time,”  said  he. 
“Now',”  said  T,  “Yes,  but  I  haven’t  my  check  book  with  me.”  That  will 
be  all  right,”  I  replied,  “I  have  mine  here,  w'hat’s  the  name  of  your  bank?” 
And  as  he  named  it,  I  scratched  out  the  name  of  my  bank,  filled  in  the 
proper  name,  wwote  in  the  amount  to  be  paid  to  so  and  so,  treasurer,  handed 
it  to  him  and  without  any  question  on  his  part  it  was  signed.  Get  the  cash 
on  the  first  interview,  if  it  is  at  all  possible  to  do  so.  “A  bird  in  the  hand 
is  w  orth  tw  o  in  the  bush.  ’  ’  We  spent  about  a  year  in  the  insurance  business. 
When  agents  came  to  our  office  and  spoke  of  the  bright  prospects  they  had, 
we  paid  little  or  no  attention  to  their  remarks,  what  we  w'anted  to  see  was 
signed  applications.  See  your  man,  land  him,  don’t  let  him  put  you  off,  let 
him  know  that  the  only  thing  that  will  make  you  get  up  and  leave  is  for 
him  to  “come  across.” 

If  you  havn’t  secured  the  amount  you  w'ent  after  from  an  indmdual,  keep 
after  him  until  you  get  him.  May  T  relate  another  experience.  I  w'rote  to 
a  certain  w'oman  of  means  and  said  to  her,  that  w'e  w'ould  have  to  receive 
$10,000.00  from  her  for  our  work  and  that  T  w'as  going  to  call  on  her  very 
soon  to  present  the  matter  more  fully.  She  wrote  back,  “Enclosed  please 
find  check  for  $1,000.00,  since  you  have  the  whole  state  to  canvass,  I  think 
this  is  my  share.”  I  thanked  her  for  her  check,  but  said  that  it  was  still  my 
opinion  that  w'e  w’ould  have  to  have  $9,000.00  more  from  her,  and  that  I 
wms  going  to  call  on  her  soon  to  receive  it.  I  made  several  calls  before  I 
got  it,  but  it  came.  She  gave  the  $10,000.00  w’e  had  originally  set  out  to 
receive,  not  in  one  sum,  but  in  smaller  sums,  all  of  them  aggregating 
$10,000.00. 

If  our  w'ork  is  to  be  permanent  w'ork,  fellow  university  pastors,  it  must  be 
adequately  endoAved.  If  endoAvment  funds  are  going  to  be  raised,  in 
nine  cases  out  of  ten,  you  who  are  on  the  field  will  have  to  raise  them.  This 
money  as  a  rule  does  not  come  through  the  committees  or  through  financial 
agents.  The  people  w'ill  listen  to  you  and  w'ill  respond  to  you  as  they  wall 


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to  no  other.  Yon  are  on  the  field,  they  respect  you,  they  will  help  you. 
Don’t  lose  any  time  sitting  around  waiting  for  others  to  complete  your 
funds.  Get  out  and  hustle  for  the  money,  it  will  be  hard  work,  while  the 
campaign  is  on,  but  it  will  be  much  easier  sailing  when  the  fund  is  com¬ 
pleted.  I  don ’t  like  this  financial  Avork  any  more  than  the  rest  of  you  do.  I 
do  it  because  I  know  it  must  be  done,  and  it  seems  as  though  the  university 
pastor  must  do  it.  My  job  is  that  of  pastor  to  these  students.  I  want  to 
reach  them  definitely  for  Jesus  Christ.  This  financial  work  is  only  one  of 
the  means  to  that  end.  In  many  instances,  my  fellow  Avorkers,  Ave  have  the 
last  chance  Avith  this  imb’ersity  student.  If  they  slip  through  our  fingers 
and  leave  the  university  unsaA^ed,  the  chances  are  that  they  will  neA’er  be 
reached.  We  cannot  emphasize  the  importance  of  our  Avork  too  much,  nobody 
carries  greater  responsibilities  than  we  do.  I  trust  that  we  may  go  from  this 
conference  Avith  a  neAV  vision  of  this  responsibility,  with  a  neAV  Ausion  of  the 
bigness  of  our  task,  AAuth  renewed  resolution  to  put  a  man ’s  strength, 
supplemented  Avith  all  divine  power,  into  this  man’s  job.  Men  let’s  throw  all 
our  strength  into  this  financial  Avork,  make  eA’ery  movement  stable,  strong, 
permanent,  then  let ’s  throw  every  ounce  of  energy  aa’c  have  to  make  our 
endowment  fund,  our  building,  all  our  resources,  serve  Jesus  Christ  and 
adA^ance  Ilis  Kingdom. 


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